Chronicles of Vana'diel
by Kanto the Slayer
Summary: Two women from opposite ends of the known world go forth to claim their destiny. One is from a strict moral background, while the other lives a more carefree lifestyle. These are their stories, and many more. Chapter one has been edited again!
1. Chronicle 1: For Glory and Adventure

Author's Note: Before we begin, I would like to point out that I've been away for a while. Therefore, my technique is a bit rusty. For those of you Final Fantasy 8 fans out there who enjoyed _**LionHearts**_, thanks for the support. I'll keep that one going as soon as I can. In the meantime, please enjoy this newest foray into one of the (personal opinion) greatest online role-playing games to date.

Warning: The following piece of fiction contains graphic scenes of violence, adult situations, and harsh language. Therefore it is rated M, and is not suitable for anyone under age 18. It also contains scenes that will most definitely be Shoujo-Ai/Yuri. Please refrain from reading this if it is not your style. This is the final warning for this fic.

Copyright: All races, locations, and character names are the Copyright of Square-Enix. I don't own much of anything, besides the shoes on my feet, the shirt on my back, and a wild imagination. Any other characters (and names of said characters) are original creations. Oh, and the first two characters are mine- one is still active (Kujata server) and the other used to be. This is the first and last copyright statement for this fic.

* * *

A hume girl is born in San d'Oria, of all places. The parents had wanted a life away from the Republic of Bastok, in a place not so heavily polluted or barren of life. Thus, they managed to cross the Konschtat Highlands by way of chocobo, and settled in San d'Oria. While shunned and ignored at first, they soon became part of the city. They were treated as if they were elvaan themselves, and accepted as citizens of the Kingdom.

To them, it was a surprise. San d'Orians were well-known for their stubbornness and pride.

If that were not strange enough, from the moment the girl had first watched a parade of the Royal Knights in front of the castle, she wanted to be one. From their shining armor to their stoic faces, they seemed to her what a knight should be.

Still, she had some obstacles to surmount. The girl had a fair complexion, slanted brown eyes as if she were from the Far East, and hair like the raven's feathers that swept gracefully to the left. She possessed a charisma that seemed to attract more attention than even the few mithran children in the city, which was quite a feat.

Due to her delicate appearance, the boys made fun of her when she tried to lift an actual sword for the first time. The espadon proved far too heavy for her, and she dropped it time and time again with an embarrassing clang that rang across the parade grounds and made her red to the ears.

Whether out of pity, amusement, or a pure desire to help, one of the knights nearby encouraged her to train hard and never give up. She started with some simple fencing. The girl caught on quickly, and within three years she mastered the entire set of moves.

Soon after, she challenged the same boys that disgraced her and bested them handily in front of at least four Royal Knights. This time, it was their applause that made her red to the ears.

"That's pretty impressive. She's almost as good as captain Curilla."

The name barely touched her ears before her face lit up. "Isn't that the captain of the Temple Knights? But that's the one who beat Prince Trion!"

One of the knights nodded. "The same one, though we Royal Knights aren't too proud of it. Having our commanding officer trounced by a girl is a bit disheartening, to say the least. No offense to you, young miss." He placed a hand on his chin. "Your style resembles hers. Perhaps you should see her; I hear you want to be a knight."

She nodded vigorously, her head almost falling off her shoulders. "I want to be a Royal Knight like you wouldn't believe!"

He reached down and ruffled her then-short hair. "She's the one you'll want to see first. After all, we all started as squires or members of the Temple Knights. Perhaps she'll let you in."

It was not long after that she walked up to the castle and headed into the barracks for the Temple Knights to seek the general out. Once she found her, she bowed respectfully and stated her intentions. Yet after she finished the sentence that seemed to spill forth all at once, the red-trussed knight scratched her head in slight confusion. "You seem a bit nervous to see me. If you would repeat that slowly, perhaps I would know what you're here for."

The girl blushed, and after a deep breath, repeated herself. "I-I wish to be a Temple Knight. I heard that the fastest way to do so is to simply ask you directly. I stand prepared to do whatever it is you would ask of me."

Curilla smiled, mildly interested. "Anything, you say? Interesting. And are you prepared for the concequences if you fail?"

She hadn't thought of that… so she said what came to her mind. "Concequences don't matter. I did not come here to fail." She lifted her head, determination set in her eyes. "But yes, I am prepared for whatever may happen." All attention had since turned to the two of them as Curilla examined the young hume's face. After a moment, she nodded. "So be it. Follow me, and bring your weapon."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents...

A _Final Fantasy XI _Fanfiction

_**Chronicles of Vana'diel **_

* * *

The clash of steel on steel sounded off as one rapier met another, the blades locked against each other in a test of strength. Unfortunately, the girl didn't posess the sheer force to push her opponent back. On top of that, Curilla trained herself in battle tactics and dueling strategy from a young age.

Still, the hume attacked with surprising ferocity.

She pushed away from the opposing blade and cut upwards, slicing as close as her height permitted toward Curilla's head. An easy parry, and a following attack to the young woman's left arm. Parry and attack the left leg. Curilla deflected the attack, sent her foot streaking towards the girl's face in a front kick, heel extended.

Her opponent evaded with a turn to the right, hair kicked up by the wind generated from the attack. Curilla's eyes widened as her kick overextened. Not good! The girl sliced toward her supporting leg in an attempt to knock it from under her, but the armor ignored the blow. No matter. The girl had taken the advantage, and Curilla knew it.

The battle raged back and forth, neither of the duelists giving quarter. Yet despite the apparent speed of the fight, Curilla observed every move as if a slow spell had been cast on her opponent. She had the advantage in strength and experience. In her mind, the fight could end only one way. But the girl proved agile, dexterous, and extremely skilled for someone her age.

Though she didn't say it, this young woman impressed her. But the end drew near. All she needed was one mistake.

After righting herself, Curilla whipped around in an almost untraceable blur, blade leading. With a startled squeak, the girl ducked, only to be met by a downward stroke, aiming to cleave her from tip to toe. She blocked and parried, but found herself staring at a hard right knee to the face.

She somehow managed to hop backwards, just out of reach, though the wind from the attack ruffled her hair upwards. Curilla smiled. There, a mistake. With stunning grace, the captain turned on her left toe and thrust toward the girl's airborne position, blade glancing off of the left shoulder guard.

The attack still sent her spinning, and with a crash, the girl fell to the ground. When she managed to clear her vision, the point of a sharp blade threatened to pierce her throat.

"The duel is mine…"

The girl's brow furrowed over crestfallen eyes.

"…Squire of the Kingdom."

A shocked expression replaced her sour one. "…But I lost. How could I be in the Temple Knights if I lost the duel?"

Curilla sheathed her sword and began to administer the first of many lessons the girl would have. "To a knight, any loss is a lesson. Learn from your mistakes here. It is important not to lose hope, even when one is completely surrounded and outmaneuvered. There is always a way, even if it may seem like there is none."

She extended her hand to the new squire. "You were not born as a noble… and certainly not as an elvaan. However, your skill is such that I find it difficult to tell otherwise. Besides, you have a fire in your eyes that is rarely seen these days- the fire that adventurers possess. Goddess knows we could use that fire among us. From this point forward, I shall personally monitor your progress. Do _not_ disappoint me…"

She left the sentence open, and the girl took it from there. The squire grabbed Curilla's hand and introduced herself to her new commanding officer.

"…Hiirogane. My name is Hiirogane, captain."

* * *

The Elshimo Islands.

A lush tropical paradise filled with creatures the likes of which men have never seen before. Well, not exactly. One race of creatures became ambitious and curious enough to venture out on their own: the mithra.

Comprised of a mostly matriarchal society, these feline warriors were known for their cunning and instincts, not to mention their curiosity. Of course, the statement "curiosity killed the cat" comes into mind, and they tended to get into vast amounts of trouble. Skilled infiltrators and master locksmiths, they were best at thievery and archery. Some even took marksmanship to its logical extreme, becoming the best hunters in Vana'diel: Rangers.

One such mithra happened to live in Norg, of all places. Surely, the small pirate cove was not always a comfortable place, but it was home for her.

She was abandoned after her mother left the village of Kazham for adventure; the price to pay for leaving the tribe. No going back inside the walls, nor was she allowed to see the child she worked so hard to raise. No one wanted the daughter of an outcast for fear that they would be made fools of.

Therefore at the age of five, they gave her to the pirates. No, that's not it. Rather, they left her on their doorstep to die in Sea Serpent Grotto. Eventually, a scouting party from the local pirates took her in and began to raise her, since no one else seemed to care. At first, they couldn't stand living with her. She constantly cried for her mother, hoping that her voice would bring her back. Unfortunately, a child's dreams do not always come true.

And it was not the only problem. Due to the fact that she was just left out there for all that time, she never received the trademark tribal markings on her face... a trait which would make her stand out among the mithra she would meet in later travels. At best, she would be alone among her own people; at worst, she would be ostracized for it.

Over time though, she sucked it up and swore to herself never to shed a tear ever again. They were of no use to her here among the pirates, and no one would care when she grew up. The only way to stop crying was to start working.

Juunikyuu started as a seamstress, found herself getting quite good at it by the time a few months had passed, and began making intricate designs from the silk that was brought in from time to time. She even managed to make herself a kimono during the times when her teachers allowed her to relax. As she grew older she had to change the hem length and sleeve length, but it was always the same design- a wave pattern near the bottom, and a spectacular design on the back: a full-length depiction of Leviathan, the sea god, gracefully twisting and turning as it rose toward the neckline of the robe.

Her still-delicate hands remembered the motions from that day forward, even as she progressed into blacksmithing at the age of twelve. The local forge, though small, was home to the greatest of swords- the katana. Starting as an apprentice, she began learning how to make these incredibly sharp works of art. In one year, she had learned the basics and was ready to make her own sword.

She picked the great katana; it had more history than she could recount. Besides, she thought they were cooler than some beginner's knife. The mithra worked day and night, toiled for almost two months before the blade was finally completed. It quickly became her pride and joy, and for a good reason. The four foot six inch long blade, decorated with blue and white fabric on the hilt, was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

The blade shone with an almost otherworldly aura when the sun hit it just right, and she considered keeping it for herself instead of selling it to someone. Such was the way around Norg. But then if she were going to keep it, she had to learn how to use it.

Of course, she had the resident ninjas and samurai of Norg to train her, and train her they did... for four long years. Every hour was grueling, stressful, and just plain old hard work.

"Treat your weapon with respect. Otherwise, just like an untrained animal, it will bite you when you need it most. Such a strong weapon deserves a strong body and mind, not to mention spirit." That's what the masters told her, anyway.

It served as a good excuse for the training, though she really wanted an easier life; one less constrained by rules. And she wouldn't find that life in this cramped, damp cave. However, by the age of seventeen, she had become quite proficient in using her personally forged blade, the spear, and the halberd. Juunikyuu was deemed worthy to be, at the very least, an apprentice samurai.

She'd also bloomed into quite the fragrant flower. Red hair tied back into a ponytail, big, expressive blue eyes, a tan from almost constant exposure to the fires of the forge, and a four foot long tail that aided her for balance. Her frame, lean and toned from constant training, presented a view that men around town began to cast their eyes upon when they thought she wasn't looking.

Of course, Juunikyuu learned things other than using her sword. In the wilds of the Elshimo jungles, she came to realize that a bow and arrows came in handy when one wanted to be silent. So she trained herself in that regard, stubbornly refusing anyone's help. Over the course of those four years, she learned the hard way to use all of her senses to hunt and kill her own food. Soon, she moved through the tall grass with nary a sound, leapt from tree to tree with ease, and built the stamina to search anywhere and everywhere for her prey.

Her skill with the longbow nearly reached that of even Kazham's most talented Rangers, and by the time she finished her training, all aspects of the samurai belonged to her, every trial surmounted… except for the problem of channeling her spirit into her blade. Using the Meikyo Shisui took the utmost concentration. It was something which she lacked…

But her drive, or rather her stubbornness, had become legendary by now. It would take her another two years to even channel a bit of her spirit, but she did so. She was finally allowed to become a proper warrior…

And the moment she heard this from her teacher, Ayoko, she prepared to leave at once.

"Why the sudden decision, Juunikyuu? I figured I would have you lend a hand to our navy. What's with the sudden change of plans?"

With the same mischievous smile she had been born with (or some would say), the mithra who had now lived for nineteen years, made her reply in two short words.

"I'm borrrred!"

Juunikyuu grinned as her sensei blinked, confused. "What, didn't think it'd be that simple? Well it is! I'm becoming an adventurer." Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she explained her plan. "I'll see the world, get a few trrrreasures, and live the easy life! But more imporrrrtantly, I'll use my sword to help people. That's what a samurai is supposed to do, rrrright?"

And so, when the next airship to Jeuno arrived, she bid her farewells to the pirates who had raised her- and come to love their adopted daughter. The shock that the mithra in Kazham displayed when she returned holding a katana and wearing a blue silken kimono with a portrait of Leviathan splayed across the back in a graceful form was almost enough to make her giggle.

She cast her gaze to the horizon as the airship rose into the sky, as if set on some distant mountain that only she could see. "It's time to make my marrrrk on this world! Look out- Juunikyuu, mithran samurrrai comin' through!"

* * *

_To Be Continued..._

**K.T.S.:** You've seen it before, but not like this.

Cleaned, smoothed out, and hopefully with fewer mistakes.

This is part of an ambitious experiment known as _**Project: Remix**_, an attempt to examine stories and eliminate flaws which irk me heavily (and must surely irk you guys). The chapter you see before you is the result of my experience over the past few years of being a fic author and a writer in general.

With that said, hopefully this will make the chapter a lot shinier. I know perfectly well it was dirty, rough-edged in the past. This was one of my "starting-out" stories, and it turned into one of my favorites. And since it is one of my favorites, it must be put to the washing machine!

Subsequent chapters will contain their original author's notes to keep with the flow of things, but the rest will contain multiple fixes, perhaps even new content!

A review of this chapter would be appreciated. Please click that shiny button down there and throw me a line. Have I really improved? Should I continue this project? We'll let you be the judge of that, hmm?

Bye, now. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chronicle 2: Ambush at Cape Terrigan

The sand, coarse and unforgiving, ate at her skin and burrowed into her hair, as if to swallow her whole. It wanted to devour everything it saw, bury it where time could not touch it.

The heavy, solid armor, a pale, milky cream inlaid with gold that shone in the sunlight. The shield, adorned with the winged sword, the blade of the Goddess. The weapon, a Tactician Magician's Espadon; a Windurstian blade forged from mithril of the highest quality.

Even the white mantle decorated with the same winged sword on her back, a silver chain holding it around her shoulders, was not spared the beating of the wind and the sand.

Yet she seemed uninterested, her gaze focused on the signet ring in her right hand. Within the diamond lay the crest of San d'Oria, the symbol of her allegiance and her duty. Her hand clenched around the ring and her eyes shut as she remembered what it took to receive it.

For the past four years, Hiirogane toiled without end to reach her current status. She accepted the blessings and teachings of Altana, Goddess of the Dawn, and made it her life's ambition to see herself and her family in Paradise. She received the blessing of the papsque himself, along with his praise that she was possibly the most devoted servant that the Church had ever seen.

With her blessings came new challenges, new responsibilities. She faced trial after trial in order to succeed and climb the ranks. Upon the day she became a Grand Temple Knight, she was entrusted with a vital mission. Placed in command of an expeditionary force of her own picking, the Church charged her to spread the word of Altana, and at the same time, earn her Kingdom some territory.

The knights around her, wary at first, became her loyal followers after they witnessed her feats. She became known for her compassion, showing mercy to even those beastmen who were not known as brigands and destroyers, hiding from mankind. Some were doubtful as they heard her message of unity. Others were quite accepting, for beastmen who were once considered savages. She made them feel part of something larger than themselves.

Her eyes opened. She peered through the veil of sand as the wind continued to beat on her and the Temple Knights that stood with her. A Beastman Confederate standard, tattered and laden with skulls of the defeated, fluttered defiantly a few meters ahead. Her face twisted into a grimace. Some accepted. Others didn't want to accept anything. So be it.

"Let's go. Remember your training."

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents...

A _Final Fantasy XI_ fan fiction

_**Chronicles of Vana'diel **_

* * *

"Goddess, watch over us, though our days are long and our nights cold. Shield us with thy wings and warm our hearts with love, for we are at thy mercy."

She prayed, as she did every time they set out for battle.

The first time her knights heard her pray, they couldn't stop staring. Perhaps the sight of a hume praying like this was so rare that they couldn't help themselves. After all, her people weren't known for their piety, only for their ambition. She showed enough of that as she rose through the ranks, but only to test her limits and display her zeal.

"Provide us with the light that surrounds you. Shelter us from the darkness that blinds; that destroys. Enfold your children in your grace and mercy, and grant us power over those who would seek to tear us asunder."

It was a prayer of victory, of safety.

"Be gentle, O Goddess. Though they are the enemy, they too are our brothers. Show mercy as they rise toward your eternal Paradise, and when the time comes… welcome us into the fold as well."

She felt the heat on her back and the sun in her eyes, but it was more like a lover's caress, a gentle call to awareness as she knelt there on the sands. Seventeen of her best were with her, silent, eyes closed, heads bowed.

With a slight smile, she finished with a commanding voice. "So says your Captain!"

And the seventeen elvaan, men and women alike, thundered in response.

"_**So say we all!"**_

* * *

"Murrrrrow! Now _this_ is a city!"

The Grand Duchy of Jeuno towered on the horizon as the airship flew into the port from Kazham, offering Juunikyuu a breathtaking sight. Her kimono swayed gently in the wind and shone faintly in the rising sun. As she wondered what lay ahead for her, she noted the money that jingled in the folds of her sleeves, dying to be spent. She'd made a small fortune to live off of for a while, thanks to her kimono and yukata crafting, and would definitely get it all spent in a place like this; some of it so that she could only make some more gil.

She stretched out as the airship began its final approach. "This is grrrreat! I'm self-reliant, I'm in business, and I'm purrrrretty to boot! But I can't just live like this forrrrever. I gotta do something with this sworrrrd of mine." She looked toward the weapon with a sort of gleam in her eye. "It begs to be used…"

Of course, she'd use it for a good cause. But the only way to use it for a good cause was to be a free sword, an adventurer. What better place to start off without ties or alliances than Jeuno? And with a market this bustling, she could definitely make a killing from selling the silken clothing that she made, not to mention the weaponry she could forge.

By now, she'd gotten pretty used to using crystals, though she preferred the real thing to doing it the fast way. She understood that crystals were preferable for turning a real profit in a short time, but she enjoyed working with her hands. Still, she learned how from a passing crafter in Norg, and she became skilled enough to put quality first. She made each blade, spear, and piece of armor with her own personal signature: the mark of the leviathan, either on the blade or the shoulder.

She definitely had the good life right now, but she didn't want to do this forever. She wanted to get into fights, have friends; live the good life without being too flat broke to do so. It'd be hard to balance all this of course, but by the Gods, she was going to do it, and do it well.

As the airship landed and she walked through customs with the ease of just about anyone else riding the ship, she wondered how things would turn out in the end. It wasn't all that healthy to think about the future too hard, but it was definitely a good thing at times. She decided that she would perfect her art, in every way possible, and try to make herself known in one way or another.

"Oi, stop! Somebody stop that thief!"

She looked towards the stairs that led upwards from the shops and auction houses, and her eyes widened as a tarutaru no higher than two feet tall raced by. The sound of gil in his pockets made her ears twitch.

"It's your faul-taru for letting me stealy-wealy all this money-woney! That's just too bad for you, taru!"

A team of three Ducal Guards pursued him, heading toward the residential areas. "Come back here, ya little runt! Hey, move out of the way!"

Okay, there's a way to help if she ever saw one. She beat feet toward the scene before a single thought crossed her mind, weaved through the crowd like a fish in water. By the time she got to the guide stone, they'd already gone ahead. Damn stupid taru! Why'd he have to run so fast?

Her tail twitched with irritation as her right hand tightened on the grip of her sword. Well whatever. No business of hers, right? It wasn't like she had anything to do with one thief. They'd catch him sooner or later, and deal with him once they did.

She paused for a moment at the thought. He sure looked smallish… probably only good at running. He'd run out of steam sooner or later. Couldn't look after himself if he had to steal. If they caught him… no, _when_ they caught him… She shook her head. "I can't just leave it."

Her eyes scanned the area, thoughts raced through her mind a thousand miles a minute. She looked toward the pillar that separated the stairs, followed it up toward the ceiling… and grinned. "Perfect!"

At the top of the stairs leading to the residential area, she readied herself, waited for her opportunity. Legs coiled like springs, the hand on the sword's hilt tightened a bit more. She heard the sound of rapid footfalls from the right, closer now. Wait for it…

Out of the corner of her right eye, for all of a split second, she saw him. Within the space of that instant, everything moved.

Juunikyuu leapt forward, scooped the fleeing thief into the crook of her left elbow, scampered up the pillar, and drew her sword on the way up. She bounded off the pillar, shoved her blade into the ceiling. "Waaaaaah! Put me do-"

She glared at him, shook her head. No talkie.

The taru nodded, looked down as the Ducal Guards entered the scene. "What? Where did he go!? Little brat…"

One of them spoke up, a hume. "You act like I'm supposed to keep track of someone that small. He's probably headed towards the other parts of the city. Increase the guard on all quarters. Don't let the captain know; this is something we can handle. He's just one tarutaru… find him quickly."

The other two, one elvaan and one galka, saluted. "Sir, yes sir!"

With that, they spread out, one headed towards Lower Jeuno, and the other headed towards Upper Jeuno. The hume took one last look around, never thinking to look up, because that was just not possible… and walked away to inform the other guards to increase their patrols.

One minute… two… three… and then Juunikyuu hopped down, dislodging her sword from the stone as she did so. The tarutaru looked up at her with gratitude.

"Thank you, taru! For a while there, I thought I was a goner. Tell you what; I'm going to give you a cut of this gil I got from that stuffy-wuffy auction hou-"

Okay, enough of that. She turned to her left, reeled her right arm back, and cut off his sentence handily as she stopped the blade mere inches from the little man's neck. A look of shock and fear replaced the gratitude on the taru's face.

Her hard blue eyes stared through him. "I just saved yourrrr life. That life… now belongs to me. I don't carrrre how desperate you are- you don't steal from otherrrs. Use your talents to get you some decent, harrrd-earned gil, and if you don't have any, then learn something."

She growled slightly, her eyes narrowing as a show of her indignation. "I hate people like you… but I'm going to let you live if you prrrrromise to never do such a thing again. Got it?"

The taru nodded vigorously. She sighed to herself and sheathed her blade. "Come on- you're going to give it back, and then you're coming with me."

She made her way toward the port auction houses, the would-be thief in tow. What exactly was she getting herself into, acting without thinking like that? She shook her head. What's done is done. Besides, she wanted to help, and this was helping.

Wasn't it?

* * *

"Here's the mark, ma'am. What are your orders?"

Hiirogane sighed to herself as she stood in a valley just near the Cape Terrigan outpost. She thanked Altana that the region knew San d'Orian power. It made restocking supplies a lot easier; anyone else would've been somewhat difficult to negotiate with.

She turned toward her Temple Knights, cleared her throat. "Attention! We are to defend this position for as long as possible from any advances from the beastmen in the area. According to our scouts they are mostly goblins, but there are known to be a few wild creatures as well who would not hesitate to tear into us. Be on your guard, and stay sharp!"

"Understood, Captain!"

She nodded and began to spread out her troops. The four archers she'd brought with her situated themselves in the cliffs to the east, a fair position for sniping, not to mention scouting. More had been suggested before her departure, but she deemed four to be enough. These were the most skilled in the Temple Knights, so much that they were called the "arrows of light". What they aimed at usually would not stand up again.

Four other scouts were placed at the northern and southern ends of the valley, to watch for advance forces from either side. They were armed with Temple Knight's swords, a thin, sharp long sword that sported the wings of Altana on the cross guard.

The rest of her force consisted of six halberdiers and eight swordsmen. The plan called for them to defend the banner at any cost. One of the swords was Hiirogane herself, who stood next to the flag in an almost at-ease manner. It disturbed some to see her so calm. But then again, she had done this before.

"Incoming!"

A crossbow bolt whizzed toward one of the scouts to the north, imbedded itself into the shield he lifted upon hearing the noise of the projectile. Two more rammed into the shield from the same direction. Fifty paces away, quite a distance for a crossbow. These goblins were good.

"Over here too, Captain!"

There were more of them; three archers. None moved from their position, they just kept firing. They probably either expected to hit something, or draw the forces out so that an attack could be staged by another group.

No one fell for it.

The zip of arrows flying through the air made itself known as the archers returned fire, shot two on the north side through the eyes, and one on the south end through the chest. Hiirogane nodded at the pained cries of dying beastmen. Three downed.

Three more came in- two from the north, one from the south, firing arrows as they approached. They lay in wait, just around the corners. Probably a small scouting force, with some of the members fleeing towards some camp or other to report. She'd expected as such.

The arrows from the four San d'Orian archers continued to rain even as the enemy advanced, taking out most of the goblin archers that came their way. Then they started to get wise; the rest of the scouting parties came out in full force, a total of six on each side. Iron bolts shot into the air, arced with surprising grace before they rained atop the scouts that watched for any advances on the entrances.

Hiirogane shouted above the hail of shots. "Scouting teams, go! Clean them out!"

They didn't need a second order. The four elvaan rushed forward, shields in front and swords at the ready. They bore down on the goblin parties with overwhelming speed and force, plowed through them like moving walls. The knives did little for the goblins; they didn't have much penetrating ability. All the arrows could do was hit weak points in armor, and there were too few of those to be found.

Twelve goblins were now cut down by the sword, but that did little to lighten the mood. A battle cry from the west made the scouts turn around in surprise. A flanking attack! The easy pickings archers were a distraction; someone had leaked their route in advance. Scores of archers and darksteel-plated goblins glared with beady eyes at the expeditionary force.

One of them growled; short, quick, and only once.

They descended like a tidal wave.

Hiirogane stood resolute as they descended. "Knights, to me!" They fell back to her position and she raised her sword, whispered a brief prayer. "The Goddess protects us."

With a sudden flash of light that originated from her sword, a barrier of pale blue, almost white light had surrounded each and every member of the force. With that, they all charged forward of their own accord. One force met the other with a deafening crash, steel chewing through armor and shields smashing into skulls.

At first, it seemed as if everything would turn out all right. With their temporary new layer of armor, the goblins found it quite hard to penetrate with their blades and arrows, the weapons and projectiles rejected by the barrier of spirit force. It only lasted for so long, but they used every second.

Swords tore through the flimsy armor with ease, arrows pierced the softer targets. A few white mages among the group tried to heal one squad after another, but even these fell to the defending army. Once they breathed their last, the battle almost turned into a rout.

Swordsmen did most of the work. Reach and range, short as they were, didn't factor in, for they swung with equal force. Blood and death filled the air as blades mangled armor and flesh and bone, and battle cries filled the ears of anyone who was near enough to witness the fight. By the time the barrier wore off, the Temple Knights stood on the verge of victory.

Hiirogane tore through line after line of opponents, her sword now red with blood and gore. Still, the edge retained its sharpness, and she cleared out her side in mere minutes. Her shield cracked the skulls of the opposing forces, leaving them unconscious and out of the battle. As her fervor reached fever pitch, she focused her spirit into the espadon she carried. The blade shined with an unearthly aura as she brought it it to bear on an unwary goblin and with two cuts, a burst of pure light tore through the enemy. Nothing remained.

Within five minutes, the knights cut the goblin horde by half, with plenty of vitality and stamina to carry this fight on for days if need be. Then they heard it, the sound of a stampede. The goblins cheered, or rather, what could be called a cheer, as the beastmasters rode forth on the backs of the nearby roaming raptors.

And there were quite a bit of raptors in the area. The plan she'd crafted days before collapsed in the face of the new enemies. The raptor-mounted troops stopped at the entrances to the valley, some positioned atop of the cliff where the archers used to rest.

Hiirogane's espadon trembled as she tightened her grip on the hilt. "There is no end to them."

She could think of only one reason for this. Someone leaked their position and successfully put these knights into a corner, and the goblins had trained long and hard, sending what seemed like their best forces to this one spot. "Halberdiers… advance, and do not let up! Swordsmen, follow in behind them. Archers, double up on arrows- fire as many as you can at once! Do not let them take this point! Now, _charge_!"

And without fear- or one would think, without sanity- they did so. The goblins spurred their raptors on towards the incoming halberdiers, only to have the legs of their mounts cut off, five or six at a time with one swing. With each graceful turn, stab and swing, they cut them into pieces. The swordsmen behind each set of halberdiers cleaned up the goblins that once rode them, all amongst a hail of arrows.

But the battle could only reach one logical conclusion.

Completely and totally overrun, three of the six halberdiers and five of the eight swordsmen fell, leaving ten to fend for themselves. Though their arrows took scores and scores of beastmen with them, the four archers soon joined their fallen comrades…

The rest of the swordsmen gathered around Hiirogane, and as she uttered the prayer once more, they closed ranks around the remaining three swordsmen and three halberdiers. She looked desperate, as if praying for a quick death. But as the ancient words of protection and power came forth, it turned into much more.

With another flash of the blade, the pale blue shields returned, and just as strong. Arrow after arrow met and clashed against the mighty barricade, but did not make it through. For the next thirty seconds, they forced themselves to continue the battle.

The remaining six along with Hiirogane fought what seemed to be their last battle, tearing through the armies with reckless abandon. One after the other, the goblins fell to the steel of the Temple Knights. They showed no quarter, no mercy, the only thing foremost on their minds survival.

Darkness closed in on Hiirogane as her body began to give out on her. So this was how it ended, with her drained and her charges dead. Her mind's eye cried out with one last prayer for those died with her. No fancy words, no solemn vows. Just let them die in peace. She didn't want to hear their screams as she departed. As if the Goddess granted her wish, she collapsed to the sand as the last of her spiritual energy ebbed from her.

_To Be Continued…_

* * *

**K.T.S.:** Yeah, I think that's a sufficient cliffy for you. I tried to describe the Iron Musketeer's set of armor as best I could for the uniform of the Temple Knights. Heck, I even put in a little accessory of my own making- T.K. Army Mantle- MND+2, CHR+2. During the fight, you might have seen Hiirogane use the Weapon Skill _Seraph Blade_- I tried to describe it as best I could. But anyone by now who has played a paladin before should know the Rampart skill when they have it somewhat explained to them- our girl used it twice in the battle. So then, how was it? Oh and here are the current ages of our heroines…

Hiirogane (actual character on Kujata server- Lv. 65 Paladin/32 Warrior): Age 19

Juunikyuu (cancelled character on Seraph server- Lv. 35 Samurai/Lv.15 Warrior): Age 19

Unknown Name (Original Character, I'll reveal his name next time): Age 15

Until next time, homies.


	3. Chronicle 3: Intertwined Fates

Upper Jeuno's residential area, defined by many as noisy, slightly run down, and ever so crowded. Despite the complaints from those few detractors, moogles did their best to take care of their masters, and the rent-a-rooms stayed tidy and organized. Thus, the living area became noted as one of the premiere places to stay in the Grand Duchy.

Juunikyuu sat on the carpet of one of these rooms next to a roaring fireplace with her legs folded underneath her and her eyes closed in meditation. The intense focus, the attempt to maintain the mental clarity needed to achieve deeper states of mind, had become a daily exercise for her every since she'd been inducted in its practice.

She found it useful for a stronger and more resilient spirit, just so she could use it for her sword. Of course, the day to day distractions made things that much more challenging. Some of these challenges frustrated her, while she ignored others like so much background noise.

"I'm hungry, taru."

This particular noise drove her up the wall. It was what, the tenth time the little tarutaru said that? He annoyed her on a whole new level every time he complained. But he'd learn sooner or later that this was part of his punishment for stealing for his own gain. She steadied her breathing again, tried to fall back into her rhythm…

"Oi, lady-wady! Didn't you hear me? I'm hungry! I could eat a whole chocobo right now if I wanted to! Aren't you going to do anything, taru?"

She opened her eyes, still glassy from her trancelike state, and looked at him rather sleepily. The tarutaru looked around age fifteen, wore clothing that once may have been grand, now turned to rags. He'd probably been like this for months on end. She recognized the weapon at his right hip as a Hawker's Knife. Figured it was stolen too, but when asked he swore up and down his father gave it to him, and then told her to mind her own business.

Not like she cared.

Earlier, she dragged him to the bathtub and scrubbed him down herself, saying how much of a shame it was that he didn't even wash himself from time to time. She scolded herself all the while. Who was she to tell him what to do, his mother? That led to something else that bothered her. Did he even have parents?

It nagged her so much that she burned to know. So as she washed his brown hair, scrubbed the dirt from underneath his brown eyes, she suddenly delivered the question. "Didn't your momma ever teach you how to take carrre of yourself?"

After a few moments of silence he spoke, and for the first time since they'd met, he didn't sound cheeky or angry, or even confident. He sounded resigned and saddened. "No, taru. I don't remember her face... her voice... anything, taru. I... I killed her before I even knew her."

Neither of them remembered when the tale started, but the words simply came forth...

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents...

A_ Final Fantasy XI_ fan fiction

_**Chronicles of Vana'diel **_

* * *

Her eyes opened to darkness, emptiness. No sight, no sound, no taste in the air. No memory of what happened before. The place reminded her of a nightmare she had as a child, trapped in a dark cave with no torches and no exit. What happened? Why did she feel so cold?

Cold, alone, trapped in a void. Terror welled within her as it dawned on her. This must be what death felt like. If she was dead, then that meant…

The pit of her stomach fell out as everything flooded back to her. They'd been ambushed, their position overtaken. Her entire force, decimated. She remembered her prayer, her last words before passing out. She hoped that her death was quick. But if she were dead, weren't things supposed to be a lot brighter? Was her soul not supposed to move on to Paradise, after all of her devotion?

"Indeed. But that would assume you've died in the first place."

Hiirogane turned on her heel so fast the light almost made her permanently blind. She spared not a moment's hesitation as she fell on her knees and lowered her head. No one could look upon the face of the Goddess... not and live. That's what she'd heard, anyway. She could've sworn that her entire life flashed before her once she saw it, though.

Even without looking, the light seemed like a weight. More of a blanket or a soft touch, but a weight none the less. "Goddess Altana... I see your brilliance, your radiance, and yet you tell me... that I'm not dead?"

She spoke again, a sort of merriment in her tone. "True and true, you still live. I've spared you the pain and suffering for a while, but it will only last for so long. You must get up soon, but not before I make a request of you."

The Temple Knight dared not look up. "I am at your service."

"Then here is my wish. It saddens me that the races, the people that I have created, are still divided. Those that were meant to be brothers and sisters are warring amongst each other, vying for power and position. They care for nothing but themselves and their own interests. Those few that deviate from this selfish path must be found and shown the way. You have shown yourself faithful and true, and I have need of many like you from the few that are left."

Hiirogane found herself unable to speak, hands trembling. Stories told of it, old legends and fables that she'd once heard as a child. But even now, faced with the reality, she couldn't believe it. She managed to climb out of herself enough to give a reply. "I offer you my body and my life, my Lady. What can I do to aid you?"

"First, rise and take my hand. Look into my face and know me."

Wait, what? She chewed at her bottom lip, eyes shifting. The first time she'd looked at the overwhelming light, it hurt her. A second time might be worse. With no small effort, the Temple Knight spoke again, her voice trembling. "Forgive my disobedience... but if I look upon your face, I'll perish. It's all too much, Lady... nothing can stand before-"

Her plea got cut off by a chuckle, as if what Hiirogane had said was something that an endearing child would say. After the laugh had died down, the Goddess spoke again. "The one who does not question their faith does not have faith at all. You ask well of me, but fear not. I do not harm those that I choose, nor do I harm those I wish to help. Now, rise and face me..."

Hiirogane swallowed around the lump in her throat. Okay. If she didn't trust her words now, she never would. The knight took Altana's hand and rose to her feet, though her legs turned to jelly. Her brown eyes slowly opened and stared into the face of Altana. She could barely see anything, the light still shined so. After a few seconds though, she saw the details.

The hooded figure of a woman, like her, and yet not like her at all. Though the eyes could not be seen, they seemed to stare through her all the same. It seemed as if she radiated light from everywhere, until Hiirogane realized that she _was_ light. The wings, each with a six foot span, didn't even seem real. Then she touched them, and found them very solid, soft to the touch. "You... you're beautiful. You are everything I dreamed about."

She felt as if she could simply stand here forever, bathed in the glittering light, the aura of power and comfort and life itself. She felt as if she could rest, close her eyes and never wake up. Yes, just rest and forget everything nasty about the world, the things that happened to her knights…

"Be careful what you wish for, Hiirogane. You may receive it here and now."

That removed from her trance in a hurry, eyes wide with shock. "If I wish for it, it might happen..." The knowledge sank in. "I almost killed myself, didn't I."

No words were needed, only a nod.

Anything her heart desired would be born, here and now. Whether needed or wanted, or simply something she'd wondered about, it would come forth. Possibilities flooded her mind. The very secrets of how everything started, and all she had to do was ask…

Altana spoke again, putting the note of command and instruction in her voice. "Now that you realize what is possible here, you realize what your responsibility is. With this ability and this strength, you can bring the dead to life, and not just the spell you were taught as a Temple Knight. Those who are far gone into the abyss, so long as they are under your protection, can be raised from the grave in full. Strength, power, spirit, all regained. All will fall before your sword that threaten, but be aware the sword of justice is also one of mercy.

"So long as you are able, you can cure any wound, any ailment, and any disease. With these gifts I bestow, spread my message of unity, for now is the time for all to band together under one banner. Not of their own country, nor of their own interests. Become my hand, o faithful servant."

The world blurred before Hiirogane. She blinked, tried to clear the tears from her eyes. To spread such a message and wield such force was beyond her. If she failed or fell in battle, all would be lost. The world would perhaps be thrown into darkness forever, never to return.

She felt a weight again and it was no longer a warm blanket, but an iron curtain draped across her shoulders. She almost fell to her knees with it, and would have too, if she had not known that it was a test. Her back bowed from the invisible pressure, the knowledge of what stakes were placed upon her. Only here, it was made real.

Hiirogane figured it would always be there. The only thing she could do was bear it. She began to straighten herself and felt all the strain that came with it. Yet still she moved. Inch after inch, she moved. Her entire body seemed to ache from it. But she was a paladin. Her duty was to take the pain of others and shoulder it for them. An agonizing minute passed before she finally stood straight... and found that the weight was no longer present.

Altana nodded. "Well done. This burden is on your heart and spirit now. It is up to you to remember it. Now, awaken from your slumber... and rise forth anew. Carry my banner as you travel along. Let all look upon it and see the error of their ways, for if not, I fear that much worse will come forth. Now go!"

She threw her arms up before her face to cover her eyes from the sudden, sharp burst of light. When she could see again, the glow seemed to linger. No wait. That's the sun glinting off of her… armor?

She took a closer look; found that she no longer wore her standard Temple Knight uniform. That light that shone from her wasn't just the sun, either. She saw a slight aura around the ornate, pearly white right gauntlet. Hiirogane looked down, and noticed that she glowed everywhere that had armor. What was this?

She tried to move, and her eyes widened as she took a step forward. It felt as if she wore nothing! Hiirogane lifted her left hand to run it through her hair, stopped at her forehead. Felt like something was there. She pulled it off and took a good look at it. A coronet, with diamonds set in it, same glow as the rest of her. "Wow…"

The sound of a horn to her left made her head snap toward its direction, right hand clutched around the hilt of her blade. A scout. So she'd been spotted, had she? She knelt, reached for her shield. Her left hand passed over something that was not sand and hefted it. Certainly felt like a shield. She looked down as she donned it; saw a face in the center. Such an odd shield…

That horn again. She looked around at the bodies of her knights, strewn about like confetti. She heard the sound of raptors as they made their approach from the east. More of those beastmasters. No time to think about what to do. She drew her sword, flipped it over. Trust in the Goddess, and she shall deliver.

With a leap into the air, she buried the point of the blade into the sand. "Wake _up_!" An explosion of light burst forth from the point of impact, filled the air with power. The light spread fast enough to cover the knights around her position within the blink of an eye, far enough out to encompass the archers. The light winked out as swiftly as it came forth, leaving behind a tingling sensation on her skin.

Just behind her, she heard a knight gasp for air. She turned, watched as he blinked the sun out from his eyes. Several others returned to consciousness, fighting for air as if they'd been dumped on with ice cold water. No time. The Goblins made their approach even as they regained themselves. "Get up, _now_! Get those weapons ready!"

They got to their feet as fast as their bodies let them. One of them caught a glimpse of the armor she wore. "Captain, what the devil…"

She saw the riders approach from the east. Damn it, no more time! "I'll explain later! They're coming even as we speak! Pick up your weapons and stand fast!"

The knight nodded, repeated the call. "_Stand fast_! The enemy approaches!"

The call resounded and the knights regained their weapons with greater speed. Hiirogane peered toward the east, checked the other side. More over there, too. They sure didn't waste any time, did they? No matter. Her knights were back. Thus, the strategy still stood. "Close ranks!"

They formed up around her in a wall of sharp steel. She prayed once more, and a wide field of ice blue covered them. Seconds later, another light, green in color, shone forth and encompassed the knights nearby. "Hold positions!" Now, she only had to wait.

After a few seconds of no attacks, the horn sounded again. All at once, the goblins spurred their mounts onward, their battle cry splitting the air.

"Steady." They were too far away yet. She had to have them at least within ten feet. Probably thought they stayed still out of fear or simply waiting for some kind of relief when none was coming. She smirked. They could think that all they wanted. She saw someone shift their weight from the corner of her right eye. "Hold!" Not nearly close enough.

She peered toward the archers; found they'd regained their formation, bows drawn. No forces approached them; they'd revived undetected. She raised her sword, the sun glinting off the surface of the blade, and saw a flash of light in response. Good.

She could hear their growls now. There. Close enough. "Halberdiers, ready!"

They broke formation and stood to the west, weapons set at an angle.

All right, time to end this. "Drive them back! _Go_!" Hiirogane raised her sword again, focused her will into the blade as she did so. The sun hit the mirrored surface, and a much brighter light burst forth. Arrows rained onto the riders from the east at the signal, wreaked havoc as the force attempted to turn their attack toward the threat they'd missed.

The spell carried another, more decisive purpose. Anyone nearby that caught sight of the flash from her blade had their vision whitened out, without warning. The mounts and their riders, whatever side they approached from, suddenly found themselves at the mercy of the Temple Knights.

Halberdiers slashed their way through the legs of raptors, fell the riders when they could. Swordsmen filled the gaps where they could not, thrusting their blades into the fallen beastmasters. By the time the force behind them turned to focus on the missile attack from the archers, they'd cut their numbers by half. The counter attack fell short as crossbow bolts broke on Protect spells, cast long before the battle resumed.

Hiirogane wasn't content to just sit back and watch the rout take place. She leapt into the fray, her sword humming as she cut apart the enemies before her. She shouted over the din of battle. "Keep moving!"

The force, once one hundred strong, now dwindled to the point of extinction. Riders began to turn tail, attempted a retreat.

"They're falling back!"

Hiirogane halted her momentum. Yes, she could see them turn away. "Cry off! They've had enough!"

She watched as the last of them faded into the distance. No fatigue. No weakness. Not even a heavy breath. She looked around at her knights, scarred from their wounds, but otherwise healed to full strength. Altana saved them all. She thrust her sword toward the heavens with a shout. "A victory from the Goddess!"

A cheer resounded through the ranks, weapons raised toward the sky. She turned toward the archers as they jogged toward the rest of the group. They'd done good work. Plan would've gone south without them. As they closed within speaking distance, she raised her shield. The cheers died down. "Before we raise our standard here and return home… I have some explaining to do."

* * *

The little taru named Kipo-Maripo hailed, just like any other taru, from the Federation of Windurst. Brought up by a beautiful mother and a father who happened to be one of the best rangers in the land. Though small, as everyone in the country was, he knew how to track down his prey and kill it, even if it was ten times his size. He didn't much like using guns, but he was a fine marksman as well as an archer. Of course, if the child had known his mother, it might have been a better upbringing. His mother spent all of her energy for this one child... and in the process, she lost her life. Her last words were the name of her son, and the wish that he be happy and grow up to be strong, just like his father.

The father tried to raise him to be strong... but not just strength in body. The child proved to be clever and inventive, but not smart in any real way. It was his father that pushed him to learn about the world, to go to school, to be something great. He wanted to make his father proud of him, so he did. He tried his hardest, and pushed himself in the hopes that he would become everything that his father had wanted. Kipo wanted nothing to do with magic, however... it wasn't that he thought it dishonorable (for some of his best friends were mages), it was just that he liked the idea of tracking one's prey on their own strength. Once again, like his father.

At ten years old, he started learning how to use a bow and some arrows. Of course, it was a bow that he had carved and strung himself, so it looked a bit sloppy, but it worked. His father, seeing him at least work towards something, made the arrows for him. He practiced time and time again, slowly getting closer to actually hitting a target. One year later, he made his first kill, a target not much taller than a rarab. The thing about it was he wasn't scared at all. Well, maybe a little, but he got over it later when he told all his friends about it.

His father stressed the importance of how to cook what he killed and use just everything that was left over. After all, being wasteful was disrespectful. From that day on, he made his own bone arrowheads, and his own mantle from the skins, and he did it all with his father teaching him. In fact, he pretty much knew how to take care of himself; a little ranger in training, with a formal education and everything.

Sure, he didn't speak proper English, but that was neither here nor there. It made him a bit more likeable. By the time he'd turned fourteen, he knew how to shoot properly with both a bow and a crossbow. His marksmanship was a bit off, but that was to be expected, seeing as he had started learning mere months before.

It was that year when his father was nowhere to be found, as if he had disappeared without a trace. The only thing he left is a letter...

_Son-_

_Do forgive me for leaving-weaving like this, without a word or a trace. There is something I must take care of, and it is far, far away from here. I can't say what it is, for I'm not too certain of it myself, but this is a very-wery serious matter. But don't worry- you have all you need to take care of your own self now. You're my son, and you should be proud of what you've done so far. I certainly am. Keep practicing and training- you'll need all this someday, taru. Please do not do anything rash by looking-wooking for me- where I'm going is quite dangerous for your age. In fact, by the time you read this letter, I will be far and away, searching for information and clues._

_But remember- make your dear mother proud. She is in the hands of the Goddess now, and is watching over you always. Be good..._

_Love always,_

_Your Da._

Of course, after reading this letter, he cried something awful for days. Both his parents were gone- one dead, the other vanished with only a letter. No clues, no traces, nothing. But after he was done crying his eyes out for a week, he was tired of grieving for someone who he wasn't even sure was dead. So he asked himself where he was and why he would go there. What was so important that Da had to leave right away? Why did he not speak of it, even in his letter? What clues was he looking for?

All these questions hounded at him for days... until he finally gathered what money he had and headed towards the chocobo stables. He had a determined look on his face, as if he were heading off to some great conquest, when all he wanted to do was find his father. He carried everything he had with him- well, not everything; just what he needed was all. His bow, a set of forty of his own arrows which he had pretty much perfected by now, his crossbow with a few bronze bolts, and some food for the trip that he managed to cook himself.

He wouldn't worry about how it tasted until he needed to eat it- and he did need to eat it. Heck, he ate one of the roasted hares he made on the way to the chocobo stables. It wasn't too bad, actually.

The most unfortunate thing happened on the way through the Meriphataud Mountains... the chocobo decided that it didn't like him. So in the middle of the mountain range, it knocked the taru off of his ride, leaving him pretty much on his own, with no one on the roads to help him out. On top of that, the sun was slowly sinking behind the mountain pass. If the torama in the area didn't get him... something worse would.

But they could be used for food too, so it was decent for a time. Besides, he knew how to avoid most of the predators in the area... until one day when he was far too tired to move any further. Kipo found himself trapped by an entire pack of torama... and one of their enchanting stares could turn him to just another statue. So seeing as he couldn't run... he fought. it took him almost half the day to get rid of most of them, either by his arrows, his father's knife, what few crossbow bolts he had, or sheer hide-and-seek... but he managed to walk along the trail of the fresh bodies and take what he needed. He made himself a new mantle, more arrow heads, more of everything- but he knew not even that wouldn't last forever.

Day after day, something changed. He had to outwit, outlast, and just plain old run from most of the aggressive creatures he ran into. The constant battles hardened him, a grave situation for his young age. Experience taught him many a hard lesson, but he wouldn't die from it. He would just not be a boy anymore.

Perhaps that in itself is a worse death than being eaten alive.

It got worse as he passed through Sauromugue Champaign, where he had to deal with the tigers and raptors... and the ever annoying goblins that came after him in whole droves. It was here that he'd received his first injury, and it wasn't just any scrape or bruise. He managed to patch himself up, but it was all he could do to get to Jeuno.

Why there? Well, it was the first place he had thought of where information was to be found, and where massive amounts of people gathered. Naturally, he would start there. Most of the tigers, he evaded. Then, three of them caught wind of him. Against such odds, he did the only thing he could.

He ran like hell.

By now his agility and skill with a dagger had improved by leaps and bounds. Kipo seemed to fly everywhere as he evaded his pursuit, running up walls when he could, dodging in and out of the rubble, leading the predators on a merry chase through the wastelands outside of Jeuno. He even kicked off of a tiger's head, pulled out his crossbow in mid air, and managed to fire the last three of his bolts into the beast before landing. He barely made it through the gates alive.

Then that he found out that his traveling bag was destroyed during the chase.

Food, clothes, his arrows and bow... gone. His only remaining items, the now empty crossbow and his dad's Hawker's Knife. The crossbow, he could sell, but if he lost that knife... he wouldn't know what he'd have done. It was the only thing he kept sacred these days. So the question was, what did he have to do to get some money? The answer was simple- whatever he had to.

The stealing had gone on for a year, and for the most part he had never been caught. But this time... this time he simply wanted to know what would happen if he _was_ caught. How fast he could run, how far he could go. But now... now he wasn't so sure he wanted to know.

She heard the story with a sort of detached amusement. This kid was just like her, in a way. He had no real family. He was practically abandoned, though it was at a much more... well, not mature age, but older at least. Everything he had done over the past year was his own doing, which was a redeeming quality, if nothing else. He had the potential, and the drive.

Kipo was just going about it the wrong way.

When she finally looked at him again, Juunikyuu had such an intense glare in her eyes that it seemed she was staring through him instead. Her blue eyes tried to penetrate into the deepest part of him, to see if he were serious about all this. She saw nothing that was not true... so she finally nodded once, and spoke for the first time in minutes. "So... lemme get this strrrraight. You went thrrrough all that to find your father, and now you're out of money. Is that right?"

Kipo nodded. "Yup."

The mithra sighed. Well that sucked. Only one thing to do now. "I might as well help you out, then. But don't expect me to go easy on you." Or feed him, for that matter. He'd have to do that himself.

The taru puffed out his chest. "What, you think I'm scared of you? I ain't afraid of nobody. Sure, you were scary-wary with how fast your sword was, but I'm still not the least bit scared of you. But still... you're not too bad, for a girl. Tell you what; I need some advice on how to make money-woney quickly. Heck, you look like someone who turns a profit, right? Maybe you could help."

She placed a finger beneath her chin. "Hmm... I could. But I sure couldn't help you by just giving you money... tell you what. You've got enough skill to do all that, rrright? All you need is prrractice. I'm... okay at woodworking, and I might do you a bit of a favor by teaching you how to rrrreally make arrows. But in return, if I teach you, you have to do the rrrrest on your own. Got it? That means no more stealing."

Kipo stuck his tongue out at the mithra defiantly. "Like you could teach me as good as my Da did, taru. I bet you couldn't make a measly-weasly bone arrow if you had to. You don't look like you have the snuff for it, taru. I might be better at it than you!"

She chuckled. This'd be a riot and a half. "Got a tiger fang and a few bone chips? I'll show you a neat trrrrick that you can do with them, if you got 'em."

He produced about three of them from a pocket that was hidden somewhere in his cloak, as well as a couple of bone chips that he had stored away. She nodded, and went for one of her travel bags. Inside one of them were a myriad of crystals, each shining with their own aura of sorts. She nodded and casually pulled a few green crystals from the bag, then closed her eyes. It didn't seem like much... until the crystals reacted a few seconds later, producing a wind that made the fireplace flicker. Of course, she had to keep the wind under control, and to do that she had to concentrate on what she was making.

"Crystals? But... I don't see a signet ring anywheres on you! How'd you..."

His words were cut off as the myriad of items gave her began to take a shape. The wind cut and slashed at the fragments and pieces until they started to look like something. Of course, the teeth he had given her were huge. Black tigers in the Sauromugue Champaign tended to have excellent tools for perfect arrows. The bone fragments were there to give the teeth a sort of reinforcement and to hold the overall shape together. And lo and behold- within about twenty seconds, and a flash of light...

Gleaming, pearlescent arrowheads were raining down into her hands as if they had always been there. A thin veil of sweat was barely visible on Juunikyuu's face, but other than that, it didn't look like it took any effort at all.

Kipo only said five words, for he could say nothing else. "How did you do that?"

It was as if he didn't see anything at all. Or rather, he didn't believe what he saw. He'd never used a crystal before, much less seen one used until now. As far as he was concerned, the display was fantastic.

For the first time in a long time, a look of wonder was on his face. Frankly, she liked that look. It meant that the kid wasn't all that bad. She began to explain exactly what he had missed. "Surrre, some people call it cheating, but I just used a crystal. And to answer yourrr question of how I got so many..." At this point, she fished into the sleeves of her kimono and produced a ring with the green and gold insignia of Windurst on it. "I'm frrrrom Kazham, sure... but on the official rrregistry, I'm a citizen of Windurst."

She placed the ring back into the sleeves of her kimono and continued. "Anyways, all you rrreally have to do is have the materials in hand, have at least one crystal, and have an image in your mind of exactly what it is you want. But then again, it does take a fair bit of prrractice just to make these. You'rrrre good with woodworking, no?"

He nodded. "Good! Lemme see you turn these into arrrows. You've had enough prrractice by now, I presume? You can make an arrrow out of anything?"

Kipo had that arrogant, self-assured look on his face again. "Just sit here and watch, taru. You're gonna have to give me a crystal though." And then, he came up against a roadblock. "Awwwwww, I don't have any wood to work with, taru! Shoot... I'm gonna have to work now, aren't I?" Juunikyuu just laughed. If nothing else, this was going to be interesting.

* * *

Home again.

The walls of the fortress never looked better to her as she passed beneath the west gate.

After being explained about what exactly had happened, they carried the scars as a mark of pride that they had at least earned them through protecting their Captain. Of course, she had become so much more… Though when asked about the new look, she said nothing. All this had to be reported to Curilla at once. She would understand what to do next.

"We're home, Temple Knights. Of course, we are not going to head back just yet, so you have your leave. I will see the Captain myself, and I'll expect you all back at the Chateau before nightfall."

They saluted, grinned wolfishly, and headed off towards whatever it is they did on free time. She honestly didn't want to know...

Of course, at Cape Terrigan, a San d'Orian flag, new and glistening faintly as if it had never seen the battle, was flying in place of the Beastman Confederate standard. If anyone had seen the battle that day, Goddess knows that it belonged there... for the moment.

_To Be Continued... _

* * *

_**K.T.S.:**__ Wow. This one took longer than I thought it would. I certainly hope the extra time that was put into this chapter was worth all that. Do be a dear and review, okay? _

_**Vaya con Dios, amigo mio.**_


	4. Chronicle 4: Wings of the Messenger

"You are certain that everything you have told me is true?"

Hiirogane, kneeling before the captain of the Temple Knights, nodded vigorously. She had seen it herself- all of it. She had, in fact, just finished explaining how such an organized force had swept them all off of the board, and then just like that, all the beastmen were like blades of grass before a gale- easily swept away and never heard from again. She didn't skip one of the most vivid details in her mind; it was one that would stay with her forever. The image of the Goddess of the Dawn, as real and as poignant as ever. She saw her face... touched her wings... heard her voice. And as soon as she had come and given the task, she was gone- but she left behind someone who was stronger, faster, more responsive, and definitely more versed in White Magic... much more.

"All of it is true, Captain. Every word. I swear by the Goddess within me-" Curilla held up one hand to stop her, a stern expression on her face. Those were fateful words, and if that sentence was finished, something would happen. Either the Goddess would be called, or her best officer might be struck down for a lie, or something. Right now, anything was possible... "Please, do not swear by the Goddess. In fact, swear by no God whatsoever... swear by your own soul and heart, and by your sword, and I'll believe you. It won't do well to call Altana forth now to witness an oath. I must admit that I am afraid of you right now, my best student..."

Hiirogane lifted her head in shock. Her captain, afraid of a subordinate? Certainly, she was a high-ranking one, but still! "You need not be afraid of me- I'm still the same person, whether touched by the Goddess or no. Please, don't be afraid of me... I don't know what I'd do. You're my friend, Captain. My best friend..." Curilla realized then that Hiirogane was crying. That one slip in emotions, that one error in judgement, had caused her most loyal follower to crack. _There must've been much strain on her during the battle, and then everything else_, she thought. Curilla smiled and wiped away the young knight's tears.

"I'm not afraid in that sense. I'm afraid out of sheer awe and reverence. I'm not even jealous, even though I should be." She chuckled warmly, and Hiirogane smiled, still crying. Well, crying less now, but she was still weeping. "Hiirogane, you have been touched by Altana, not to mention have been made her right hand. Raising the fallen, healing the sick, doing the impossible... The scriptures, the ancient texts, they're all true. Look at yourself... You shine like a second sun, even with these low lights in the Chateau. I can see your aura, even if others cannot. You are a messenger; a force of nature. And if I am correct... you are no longer human, either."

One word was placed into the minds of those who saw her- felt her presence.

_Immortal._

_

* * *

_

**Kanto The Slayer** presents...

A _Final Fantasy XI_ fan fiction

**_Chronicles of Vana'diel_**

**_

* * *

_**

Jugner Forest, Novallen region.

"Aaaaand, swing!" A thump can be heard from a nearby small tree as Kipo begins getting himself some materials for some Fang Arrows. Juunikyuu had bought him some work equipment- a worker's tunica with matching gloves, boots, pants, and a headband to keep his hair out of his eyes. "Swing!" Another thump, and splinters of wood went flying. "Swing!" Another thump, and the axe buried itself into the tree. Kipo had to pull it out and center his weight again before swinging again, this time without any word from the mithran samurai.

And where was she? Why, she was in the branches of a nearby tree, lounging around and giving out instructions to the young taru, who was working his ass off. But then again, things aren't always as they seem. This place was notorious for goblin attacks, tigers, and walking trees, which would pop out of you from their non-animated brethren. Once someone took you by surprise, it was all over. Oh, and did the author forget to mention the constant orc raids? Those were always fun. So she was on the lookout, casually watching for intruders.

In any event, Kipo continued cutting at the tree, a veil of sweat starting to bring a slight sheen to his skin. _Getting this stuff is hardy-ward, taru... but I'll do it, to prove to this kitty-witty that I'm not useless. That way, she won't have to help me,_ he thought as he continued working. He neither wanted, nor needed anyone's help of any kind. He'd look for his Da all on his lonesome, if need be. But so far, that was a waste- he had almost died twice, and had to steal to get what he wanted. Maybe this would be good after all- he'd go until he could support himself. That could take a while, though...

Meanwhile, Juunikyuu looked down at him from her perch and smiled warmly. _Murr... he is kinda cute. I suppose this is the rrright thing to do, besides just sit arrrroud and wait for something bad to happen._ On that thought, the tree was felled, and presto! A log. Juuni hopped down from her perch and clapped in appreciation for his work. "Wonderrrrful, Kipo! Nice job, clean cut. Now then, trrrry using this to turrrrn this into something usable. It's a prrrretty thick log, so you should get about two or three of them out of it. You just have to use two or three crrrystals to do it."

She cut the thick log into three different parts using the hatchet that Kipo had cut it down with, then took a wind crystal out of her bag. "Okay, give it a shot!" Kipo nodded and took the crystal in one hand, one of the pieces of timber in the other... and closed his eyes, concentrating on the image in his head. "Okay, just like I showed you. Visualize, focus, and act. Rrrready?" Kipo, with his eyes still closed, nodded again. "Go for it. I'm rrright here." She put her hands on his shoulders as he sat down. The contact made him blush slightly- he'd never been with any sort of female before, mind you. He lost his mother when he was born, after all, and the only girls he had were just friends.

That wasn't to say that he didn't need the support- on the contrary, his mind cleared completely once he got over the initial embarassment. In any event, he pictured a perfectly cut piece of arrowwood timber in his mind- measured, stripped, and ready for arrows. He continued picturing it until it was solid in his head, then gripped the crystal- gently, mind you. Not everything needs to be done by force. The wind crystal pulsed to life, and the process began. He simply had to keep his focus on the image in his head, and let the crystal do the rest...

But by the time it was over, he still had his eyes closed, as if he were asleep. "Oi..." That voice was so nice. Who did it come from? "Ooi! Kipo-Maripo! Wakey-wakey, murr..." He opened his eyes a bit, though he didn't want to. What he saw before him made his eyes open completely. The crystal was gone, and the image in his head was right in front of him. Perfectly cut, perfectly measured, perfect for the arrowheads which were in his possesion.

"I... I did it! It's that easy-peasy, taru?" Juunikyuu only nodded. "That's cause it's only a piece of timber, murr. You'rrrre going to have to train a lot morrrre if you want to get to the harrrrd stuff. You know how to make arrrrows, right? Or at least, picture an arrrrow... I got a bit of chocobo fletching for ya, if you need it." Kipo nodded wordlessly. After a bit of silence, he spoke, almost grudgingly.

"Erm... thank you, taru. I mean... not like I needed it- I could do it all on my own. But still..."

Juunikyuu nodded, and did something that shocked her later. She hugged the young tarutaru close to her, her heart swelling with pride, though it was an easy thing. Maybe it was pride in herself- she had taught something, and he would use it over and over again... even if it was out of spite, he'd get it down. Or maybe it was pride in him, who learned so quickly from her and used it in a heartbeat. Still... whatever it was, she felt it, and simply had to do something about it.

"No prrroblem, Kipo. I'm just glad to help someone out."

Kipo blushed again, but had a smile on his face. He couldn't help but wonder if his mother would have held him like this, were she still alive. Would she be as proud of him for something easy? Would he feel as he was feeling now- safe and warm for the first time in forever, though this was a forest full of things that could tear you apart?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. He wouldn't know unless... unless he stayed with her a bit longer. Just a bit, though. He wouldn't want her to get any ideas.

* * *

Hiirogane was in the audience chamber of the Chateau d'Oraguille, kneeling before the king. Certainly, she had seen him plenty of times before, when she had to make her reports on happenings that were going on in Vana'diel. But now, the rumors had been spreading over the last few days, and had reached the ear of Destin himself. Of course, it was only a matter of time, but rumors meant that word traveled faster. The knights always kept secrets until the time was right to speak. In any event, Hiirogane kept her face down to the ground in humility and respect. But the king would have none of it.

"Rise and be welcome, Temple Knight Hiirogane. I have heard much about you, though it is only rumor and supposition. I have called you here to confirm such rumors and see for myself. Now then... what was it that you said about her, Curilla?" Curilla, who was at the king's right side, stepped forward and spoke so that all in the hall could hear. They all needed to hear this- each and every believer in the hall. If there was no one who believed after this, they would now. The entirety of the Chateau was almost packed to the brim, and the cathedral would be twice as full when everyone heard the news.

There would be a flood of Elvaan who would either want to touch her... or want to kill her. Many still believed that their people was the chosen one to lead the world into the shining age- into Paradise. For a hume to be chosen... it was blasphemy, almost an unforgivable act. But how could they question the Goddess Herself? Such was the pride of the elvaan- they would even go against their own teachings to save face. But at the same time, there were many who wanted to see her- wanted to touch her. Wanted their sick relatives and children to touch her so that they could be healed. It didn't work like that- it was all through Hiirogane's hands and body that healing could happen, but it was her will that made the power move. She was the "Hand of the Goddess"; "Altana's Angel". Or at least, those were the names the people gave her. In any case, she wasn't out of the castle yet... so there was no reason to worry.

"Of course, your majesty. You can see the white clothing and armor she has on her- a pure white, no impurity, no stain, even after the battle at Cape Terrigan. As she explained to me, it were as if the fight had never happened, and the odds were much easier. Her blade, her shield, all changed into weapons which seem as if the Gods themselves had forged them." Hiirogane blushed at such a poetic wording, but she didn't have anything better to say. She had never had so many people pay attention to her before, and still blushed even though she was age nineteen and was supposed to be ready for such things by now.

Still, she managed to keep her composure... for the time being. She was a leader dammit, and she had to act like one.

"But those of you who believe, look closer. Not simply with your eyes, but with your minds and spirits. Do you see it like I do? She shines like the full moon at midnight, stars aglow and all. Look and see... " And they did see. For some, it was only a bit of light around her body, from her skin, as if some light were shining on her from somewhere in the castle. For many, it was more. The light wasn't coming from her, or shining on her. She _was_ light, she was power. Their eyes were transfixed on the sight until Hiirogane blushed even harder. _They see it, all right. So why are they looking at me as if I were something to eat? Do they want a sign that much?_

The reassuring voice that was in her mind from time to time- the voice of the Goddess- spoke in response. Some would call it concience, some would call it the soul, but in reality there is a little piece of Her inside us all, whatever one wants to call it. _They hunger and thirst for the touch of the divine. They see and believe, but they must be made to understand. Make them understand._ Hiirogane's eyes were clouded, almost blank. Curilla knew what this meant, but the king did not. "Is something wrong, Hiirogane? Speak of it. If you wish to leave, it is fine... we can do this some other time."

Curilla said nothing, but watched intently. Oh yes, she watched. Meanwhile, Hiirogane was still in her trance as the part of her mind that heard voices and saw visions was brought to the forefront. They say that one only used ten percent of their brain... well then, what if one used more than that? What if one was receptive to more than just sight and sound, smell and taste and touch? In this world of Vana'diel, such things happened... but one rarely heard the voice of a diety. Very rarely.

The voice continued on. _Do not ask how- simply do as I instructed earlier. The only thing holding you back is your own self- but show control. Not everyone in the hall is ready for the full strength I have given you. Still, they must understand that this is truth. You will carry my banner, and lead the world into unity once again. Show them all the way. _Encoraged by these words, Hiirogane's eyes suddenly cleared again, a look of determination set in them.

"There are those that do not believe enough." The king's eyes focused on Hiirogane with a puzzled expression. "What are you implying? Everyone in this hall is a faithful follower of the Goddess, and has been waiting for this day to arrive. Curilla has already explained-" She continued, unheeded. "I understand... but still, they must understand that this is truth and reality. With your permission, majesty... I suggest you brace yourself."

Destin nodded and sat against his chair, his hands tightening on the arms. When someone said "brace yourself" as she did, it was unwise not to do so. Hiirogane made no prayers, no offerings of thanks. She didn't need to- she had enough faith that it would happen anyway, regardless of the ritual. She brought her arms slowly upwards in a wide circle, fortunate that she was not holding her sword or shield at the time. She could feel the energy being gathered within her, as if she were drawing all of existance, all of the life within the room towards her. Once her arms were towards her chest, she crouched down, the energy from the ground moving through her legs. She had just drawn energy twice- it was enough for what she planned to do.

It wasn't meant to instill fear- but to instill wonder and respect. The lights in the great hall outside the audience chamber brightened as she drew her power, making everyone wonder what was going on. A few moments later, they knew what exactly what was happening. An ethereal shockwave of power and a visible wave of light tore through the castle, sounding off with something like an explosion. Three surprises came with this burst of energy: First, there was the change in the castle- or rather the lack of it. Nothing was destroyed, nothing was broken or shattered- it was just shaken to its ancient foundations and blew the doors of the audience chamber open. Nothing more. Second was the change in the people. Fatigue, illness, any sort of stress- gone. Clear. Free. Certainly, there was no way to reverse one's age, for all were destined to perish in some way. But they were no longer tired or had stress in their joints. It were as if everything were a distant memory, and anyone could do anything.

But it was the third change that drew a collective gasp from those inside the Chateau. The wings. Hiirogane had wings- real, and yet not real. They shone as if they were born from light, and yet... one would swear that they flexed and moved as if they were a part of her body. Each wing had a six foot span, not to mention the defensive cover of darksteel or mithrill. Or rather, a combination of the two, melded into something harder; stronger. And yet they didn't seem real- one could almost see through them, if they were not so luminous. Her eyes were the more haunting aspect- they were white. No pupil, no iris, not even blood vessels, just white. It were as if someone had erased them completely.

One of the Royal Knights standing there whispered the sacred words that were on everyone's mind. "Goddess save us... what has she become?"

* * *

Back in Lower Jeuno and three arrowheads later, he had made an entire stack of them. He couldn't quiver them for some odd reaaon, but whatever- he had a reliable, decent set of arrows that he could use. She nodded, looking at the job-well-done, and smiled warmly. "Nice one, Kipo! You've got a thing for woodworrrrking. Something yourrr Da taught you?" He nodded. He had already told her the entire story, so it wasn't such a painful subject anymore. In fact, he was starting to get used to her, and only after a few days of staying in Jeuno. The strange part was that Juuni was almost certain that she was getting as attatched to the young taru as he was getting to her.

She could tell these things- he looked at everything she did these days, wanting to imitate or simply learn. Did he miss his mother so badly? Or did he simply need a woman in his life to fill the gap? She hoped the second one wasn't the case, due to the fact that she didn't have any plans for being anyone's girlfriend. But still... she had to look after this boy- to teach him how to act more his age instead of being so hard and gruff all the time. The battle instincts could come out later- now was not the time for them.

Of course, she was also buying food for the both of them- she wasn't that bad of a cook, but it was draining on her money. Ah well- it wasn't like she had anything else to spend her gil on, and the fact was that she wanted to do something with it. Of course, her fabrics and clothes still sold for quite a fortune- she was making a good living for herself, and her hands never forgot how to do what she did best. Still, it was time for something new... at least with Kipo, that was. He had to go out looking for his dad, and there was no real way around that.

She would come with him, seeing as there was nothing better to do. Never mind the fact that she'd be worried about him- she was just bored. She wanted to use the sword she had forged so perfectly for herself to do some good; to protect someone with her life. She would do just that- she would go to the ends of the earth if she had to- then when it was all over, she would start something else. That was the way it worked with adventurers- finish one path, look to the next.

But right now, she was just having fun and living the good life.

"Say, erm... Juuni-kitty?" Her ears perked up at the pet name. Well, not exactly a pet name, but more of a nickname. Something that a little boy would name his best friend. He had started calling her that instead of her other name- it was too long for him. In normal circumstances, she wouldn't have awnsered him. But of course, these days were not normal for her. "Yeah, Kipo?" He thought hard about this next question, seeing as it would be a hard one to ask, but he just went out and said it. "Do you have any kitty-wittys to call your own? You know, a family, taru?" Her ears drooped somewhat. Her family had kicked her to the curb- it was punishment to her mother for leaving. She took a deep breath to awnser, but found that she couldn't.

_It's not that I can't awnserrrr, murr... It's just that I don't want to, _she thought to herself. She didn't want to remember the people that didn't want her, much less need her. She wanted to remember the family that she had in Norg; the pirates that had taken her in, taught her how to sew and make such beautiful things; taught her how to fight. Taught her how to live. She sighed and said this instead: "Painful subject, murr. I'd rrrrather not get into that, if you don't mind." Kipo shrugged, but kept it in mind for later. It wouldn't do to get her angry- she could still draw a weapon faster than he could.

In any event, They were about to head back out to try these new arrows out, not to mention get some more materials in order to make new ones... when a guard spotted them. Kipo managed to hide behind Juunikyuu before he approached... but it wasn't enough. The guard drew his sword and pointed it at the little taru behind the mithra. "That boy is charged with stealing from the Port Jeuno auction house. We are to take him into custody on site, ma'am... please step aside." It was the deep voice of an elvaan, and he looked like a strong one at that. She nodded and smiled sweetly. I underrrstand perrrrfectly, sir. I'll brrrring him to the Ducal Guards station immediately. Leave this to me, okay?"

The guard looked suspicious for a moment, then nodded. "Very well... the station is in Ru'lude Gardens, top level. Please bring him as soon as you can... but we will be watching." He walked away, and before long was out of sight. Juunikyuu sighed and looked at Kipo-Maripo. "C'mon, let's get outta here." Kipo looked up at her, a slightly confused expression on his face. "Won't the guardie-wards be after us, taru? Some of them are actually good..." Juunikyuu shook her head and smiled. "I'm not about to give up this chance to do something interrrresting for a change. Besides, you need to go and find yourr Da, no?" Kipo smiled and nodded.

Thus, that night, the two of them left... and frankly, without a chocobo. They would have been spotted for sure if they had taken one. It was a rough place at night, too... but they'd get by, right? After all, what's the worst that could happen to someone who could see in the dark?

* * *

That same night, a feast was held in honor of the San d'Orian victory at Cape Terrigan. It was a bit late, but as the saying goes- "better late than never." The Expiditionary Force had been a complete success, though the battle seemed lost at first. Bards sang almost constantly about the battle, especially pointing out the "shining angel", Hiirogane. Of course, she decided to leave the festivities early... she was not used to all the attention and the admiration. She only wanted to help, and not speak about it again. It was her own little victory, when someone's burdens were eased by her actions.

In any event, she spoke with Curilla, her captain that night, along with her escorts for the task given to her by the king- Mesachedeau, a silver-haired, blue eyed Royal Knight, and Pitié, a White Mage and cleric from the cathedral who was a brunet with brown eyes. Why the cathedral had an interest was simple- they were the ones who kept the old legends and scripts alive. Of course they'd want a hand in whatever was happening. Piete was polite when she adressed Hiirogane, and she liked that. She needed more of a friend than a soldier on this mission, which may take a while.

"As... as of tonight, I'm no longer a... a Temple Knight." Curilla nodded. "I heard. It's not a punishment, Hiirogane. That was simply to free you from any ties you may have. To anyone, for that matter. I'm not your captain, so don't kneel." She shook her head vigorously. It was her dream to be a knight- she wouldn't just leave so soon- not when things were just getting interesting. "Captain... you're my best friend, and you deserve all my respect. I won't stand until you ask me to. Besides... I'm no equal to you."

Curilla smiled. "When was the last time we sparred, then? Come and show me how 'unequal' I am to you these days." Hiirogane nodded again, and then headed out to the courtyard where the bedrooms of the two princes stood. As they both drew weapons, Hiirogane's eyes were, for the first time that evening, alive. Not that they weren't before, but they were focused. Determined. Regardless of what happened in the past, she would not be defeated now! She put her shield before her and her sword downwards, at a 45-degree angle to the ground, putting her left foot in front of the right and bending both knees slightly.

"Hmm..." Curilla said, appraising her stance. "Interesting stance. It's as if you were ready to strike, even before the match begins. Is this your take on the standard opening stance, or is this simply your own thing?" Hiirogane said nothing. Curilla shrugged and put her shield before her, mirroring her stance almost exactly, but standing a little straighter to compensate for the fact that she was taller. "Fine then. I'll see the effects for myself." With that, she made the opening rush, shield before her. For someone as tall as she, Curilla was fast. Quite fast, in fact. She closed her position in less than three seconds... only to find that Hiirogane was there to meet her. She too, either on reaction or sheer grit, had made an opening rush as well!

This was far from what she had expected- Hiirogane had a defensive mindset most of the time, and thus waited for the opponent to attack. It was what made her such a daunting opponent. But doing something like this was reckless, almost suicidal, especially against a seasoned opponent such as her. Still, it was bold, and it threw her concentration of breaking down her defenses off entirely. So when one shield crashed into another while in mid-air, one thought passed through her mind. _What's this? She's changed her style... And that charge was fast; I barely even saw her advance!_

Hiirogane quickly recovered from the impact, and after landing on the ground, swung her sword in a blur of steel towards her opponent's neck. The blade was blocked and turned to the outside before Curilla countered with a horizontal swipe to Hiirogane's left temple. Blocked with the shield, and another sword stroke; this one was downwards and to the left, cutting deep across Curilla's armor- almost through it! The captain of the Temple Knights stumbled backwards from the sheer force and the shock of a deadly stroke before realizing that Hiirogane was pressing her advantage. She quickly lifted her sword to block the next attack, another diagonal slash to the left... and it soon turned into a test of strength as one blade locked against the other.

_D... dammit! She's serious! I mean, it's not like she wasn't before, but she is truly fighting me. I could die right now- she would weep later for her actions, but it would be victory. Why... why does this feel right? Have I been so far in keeping the peace that I have not had to truly fight to the death before?_ She realized that it was truth, and grinned wildly at Hiirogane, who grinned back. "So you're finally going for it?" Curilla nodded, and shoved Hiirogane back with the sheer force that she had been holding back, disengaging her sword from the lock. Then she simply went all out, putting her weight behind a thrust to Hiirogane's face. She skillfully dodged to her right, let her overextend her lunge, and slanned into her with the flat of her blade, moving from her left ear across.

The helmet that Curilla was wearing flew off and to the side, a huge dent in the metal. The woman herself was sent reeling backwards, and when she cleared her head... she looked pissed. Her eyes narrowed angrily and her teeth grinded against one another. This had gone far enough! "**RRRRAAAAAGH!**" With a battle cry that pierced the night, she charged forward from her position with what could be considered inhuman speed. Of course, she wasn't human. She had trained to become faster and stronger than even Trion- strong enough to force him to take an eye out. Hiirogane was no slouch however, and just recently she had the ability to match the speed of her former superior.

The two of them met in the center of the courtyard, the meeting of one sword against another ringing as if one of the cathedral bells had sounded off. Both had made an attempt to cut each other in half across the midsection, and both had met in a stalemate. Their movement finally stopped when they came face to face in a screeching halt, swords locked again. A veil of sweat covered their faces already, and the battle wasn't even nearly over yet. At least, it seemed like it would go on for a while. One pair of eyes met the other for a brief instant before Curilla realized that Hiirogane didn't have it in her to kill her captain. She just had an iron resolve to win this time, seeing as it was probably the last time they would see each other again.

They managed to push each other away before the dance of swords truly began. Hiirogane began carving one gash after another into Curilla's armor, but that was when she wasn't trying to guard herself against the flurry of swipes and thrusts from Curilla. Her shield, seeing as it was forged by divine hands, was untouched by scars, though sparks flew from the sword coming in contact. The sword was done in such a fashion as well, but the Paladin was mostly defensive. The sword could break, though it could repair itself as long as one had the pieces intact. And Hiirogane's weapon had so many nicks and scars that it was brittle enough to shatter at a touch when they were finished. However, so was Curilla's; and her shield was just about ready to give up the ghost. However, she had defended herself well, and though tired, was ready for one more rush.

After breathing hard for a few moments, standing apart from each other, they suddenly lunged at each other, Curilla's scarred blade flashing in the moonlight. Hiirogane ducked under the blade and to the right... and Curilla stopped just before her, her blade extended fully. There was only one way to end this one, and that was...

**CRACK**

Curilla was sent flying as Hiirogane's shield slammed into her with crushing force, going from right to left. The very breath was knocked out of her as she flew through the air, her sword flying off in another direction. As she hit the floor, the first thing to make contact was, unfortunately, her head. The world dizzied for a moment before she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the second impact. Luckily for her, it was on her side, but that made her roll painfully. The last shield bash had broken four ribs... she could no longer fight. As she lay in a fetal position, tears of pain stinging her eyes, she heard footsteps. Soon, the tip of Hiirogane's sword was pressed to her jugular vein.

"I don't think I have to say this... but yield. I won't kill you, but I will knock you out this time." Curilla laughed, then instantly regretted it as she coughed up blood. Hiirogane kneeled next to her captain, her eyes filled with concern. Curilla looked up at Hiirogane and smiled, her lips covered with crimson. "You see? I have... no real right to call myself your captain. That is for a superior officer... both in rank and skill. You are free to do as you wish... so do not bow to me." Hiirogane shook her head and closed her eyes, sheathing her delicate blade before doing so. She raised both hands until they were parallel to her face, palms facing Curilla.

Her eyes squinted in concentration as her hands began to move in intertwining circles and her body tensed. Soon, her hands were shining in an aura of pure white, as if light itself were emanating from her gauntlets. As a matter of fact... yes, they were producing the light. She was channelling her Goddess-given energy into them. And then, all at once, she lowered her hands to Curilla and pressed her palms into the injured side. The Temple Knight hissed in intense pain... and then, felt that pain double. She gritted her teeth, knowing exactly what was happening. Her bones were being mended and the muscle being reformed by outside influence. The pain was her body trying to fight it, but in the end, her mind won out. Though her body trembled slightly from the pain, everything was fixed in less than ten seconds. And all at once, she relaxed, her eyes lazily opening. Everything just felt... better. She was still tired, but she felt better now.

"Thank you. I appreciate it, though I wish it didn't hurt so much." Hiirogane smiled as she helped her former captain to her feet. "Everything good comes with a price; otherwise, it wouldn't be worth obtaining." Curilla smiled as she hung onto her former subordinate's shoulders. "I... I do believe you're right."

The next morning, the entirety of the Temple Knights- and surprisingly, the Royal Knights as well- were there to see the three of them off. As they exited the audience chambers of the Chateau to recieve their farewell gifts, the entirety of both companies were in the main hall. The doors opened, and both captains ordered to present arms. Lances and swords flashed in the lights of the castle as the three travelers advanced forward. Hiirogane had a new sword- her Temple Knight's sword had seen insufferable damage, and Destin would not have her go unprepared. He gave her Save The Queen- a blade that was designed to defend the late Queen Leaute during the time of her reign on the throne. For Pitié, a light staff- it would definitely help with her healing abilities and her recovery time, which would be needed on this journey. As for Mesachedeau, he didn't need anything but his Grand Knight's Lance- he thought all these gifts to be posturing and all show, though he did admit that the Save The Queen was not given to just anyone. He was interested in what she was capable of.

In any event, Hiirogane exited the Fortress City in the early morning- she didn't want to be crowded by overzealous worshippers. She was not the Goddess, the Goddess was simply within her- a part of her. It wasn't all that big of a deal, if one thought about it. Pitié gasped at this, and said in a much higher cadence of voice than was usual for an elvaan, though it was still a cultured and refined tone, "It is too 'that big of a deal'! Altana has chosen you to lead the world into a new age! Something like that should not be taken lightly, nor should it be taken for granted!" Mesa simply stayed silent. He actually agreed with Hiirogane, and knew why she was handling it with such a carefree attitude. The burden was greater than either of them knew- if she continued to speak of it in a negative light, it would only be harder.

But as they rode out of the chocobo stables, even he could not look upon the mission with a favorable attitude. This was going to be harder than it seemed... for all parties involved.

_To Be Continued...

* * *

_

**K.T.S.: **Whoo! That one was a bit difficult to do. Took me longer than the last one. In any event, I do hope that's of sufficient length for you all, not to mention good reading. Anyways, I'm going to go to sleep now... writing something can be more tiring than I first expected.

_**Ciao.**_


	5. Chronicle 5: To Raise a Taru

They ended up in the Battalia Downs, on the Road to San d'Oria. It seemed that they had evaded their pursuit for the moment, due to the fact that they'd left at night- when most of the guards had been asleep, and apparrently had the least trained unit on the watch. It was easy to escape... but it wouldn't be so easy to get back in, due to the fact that they'd find out, sooner or later. Tomorrow, the watch would be doubled because of the stunt they'd pulled, which would make it bad for everyone in the city due to searches.

_I feel kinda bad... We're doing the wrrrrong thing here, murr. But I have to get moving and get this guy to his Da so I can move freely on my own, murr! Besides,_ Juunikyuu thought with a smile, _it was kinda exciting! I felt like a ninja... but I would feel a lot better if I hadn't lied to the guy. Keeping yourrrr honor intact is harrrd when you have someone to look afterrr, murr..._

On the other hand, Kipo-Maripo, the young ranger's son turned thief, was impressed. VERY impresseed. _Whoa! That was awesome, taru! I can't believe that she's so sneaky-weaky for a samurai. It makes me wonder where she's really-weally from, taru... but I won't ask about it until she's ready-weady, taru. It seemed like something painful..._ Then, he shook his head and hardened his expression... which was, for some odd reason, hard to do. _Why, oh why, should I care, taru? I don't owe her anything- well, maybe for saving me from the guardies, taru, but that's it! What's wrong with me?_

"Hey, Kipo." He turned his head sharply to the center of his current thoughts and said sharply, "What?" Juunikyuu put her hands up defensively and replied with, "Calm down, murr! I was only going to ask wherrrre you plan on going firrrrst. You said yourself that Jeuno was the place to get inforrrrmation... so why arrrre we leaving, and why like this?" Kipo opened his mouth to say something sharp and biting as a response, but found that he couldn't. So he thought about why he was doing this when he should be looking for clues... and then, with his eyes looking towards the sky and a finger on his chin, he awnsered.

"Come to think of it, I dunno why we just did that, taru."

Juunikyuu sweatdropped and her ears drooped. "Thought so, murr..."

* * *

**Kanto The Slayer** presents... 

A _Final Fantasy XI_ fan fiction

**_Chronicles of Vana'diel_****_

* * *

_**

La Theine Plateau. The expanse of valleys and hills in the Zulkheim region is right smack in the middle of nowhere, so to speak. But in actuality, it is an area between the nations of Bastok and San d'Oria, two nations that have always been rivals. Were it not for the pact of mutual cooperation, things would be quite hectic around here. But today, everything was as it should be. Apart from the few orc raids that happened now and then on travelers (only for them to make the mistake of thinking they were unarmed and couldn't defend themselves properly) this was usually how it was in these parts.

With this serene view and the sun just peeking over the horizon, three chocobos made their way down the beaten dirt path.. The one in the center was the main focus- or rather, the person astride it as it was guided towards its destination. A woman in white- a true, pure white that seemed to shine and glow- was riding with two others. The arms were armored all the way up to the shoulders, and two white gauntlets were worn on the hands. Shining breeches were worn on her legs, with the greaves on the legs giving off a similar light as the dim sunlight hit them. To finish it off, a coronet was atop her head, the diamonds inlaid within the circular crown sparkling even as the sun rose.

This woman looked as if she were from the Near East- slanted, brown eyes, ebony hair that swept gracefully to the left as it went down, high cheekbones and the bow-shaped lips. A stark and beautiful face that wore a smile at the moment- the feeling of riding a chocobo was unmatched, even to someone of age nineteen. That smile was infectious- at least according to the rider on her right flank. An elvaan female- red hair that was pulled back into two ponytails and brown eyes that shone merrily, mostly watching the sunshine, but partly because she was excited, and wanted to get to know the honorable and noble woman that she had heard about. Not to mention she wanted no quarrel with the male elvaan to their left...

The man had short silver hair and icy blue eyes. He had wanted no part in this since the start- but had been assigned anyway, due to the lack of defenses on the fronier and access to most of Vana'diel in Bastokan possesion. Thus, the Royal Knights needed to be mostly in San d'Orian territory- he was the most loyal and trustworthy, and thus the first one to look to. But for the first time, he complained. He did not trust the humes, hand of the Goddess or no. Still, he went on the orders of the king. He had to watch over their healer- the other woman would have to watch out for herself. Hell- if it were up to him, he would leave her in the middle of an orc raid and see what the Goddess thought of her servant when she was outnumbered and outgunned. He honestly hoped, in his heart of hearts, that Altana would forsake her- if indeed She was within the hume woman.

_Hn... what is so special about this one that Altana Herself would make contact? We elvaan are her chosen, are we not? So why this... outsider, for lack of a more gracious term?_ He would wonder this, and yet he would not go back on his word. He had at least that much honor. But he would not follow this fledgling savior's orders until he was sure of what he was gettting into. But then again, she was amicable to him. He simply nodded- well, bowed to her in the king's presence, but that was for the king. When spoken to, he would only nod or shake his head. But the woman, named Pitié, was quite talkative.

"So, Hiirogane- that is your name, isn't it? And I did say it right, right? I've been studying the language of the Near East for about two years now..." The woman to her left looked towards her and nodded in confirmation. "That's right- you got it right. And your accent is perfect- it's almost as if you had lived in the Eastern Empire for most of your life. Impressive." Pitié smiled and thanked her, then continued with her question. Her voice was much higher than most elvaan- she was only age seventeen, yet was one of the most devout and immensely talented clerics in the San d'Orian cathedral. Her White Magic was considered second to none- until now, that was. But she was not jealous. In fact, it was her own mouth that scolded her contemporaries, saying "How can you say such things about a woman you don't even know? The Goddess has descended and touched her- you should be celebrating and encouaging her onward, not speaking lies behind her back."

In any event, she began asking all sorts of questions about the woman, complimenting how beautiful and graceful she looked, though she had armor and all sorts of weaponry on. "With all that armor on, one would think that walking would be hard... but it were as if you were walking on air instead of carring all that weight. Is it not hard?" Hiirogane shook her head and smiled. "It was at first- it still is these days, but the burden is considerably less. It takes training and strength in order to walk around so easily. But this armor... I don't know- it simply seems as if I were wearing normal clothing instead of armor." Pitié awnserd this one, taking a sort of scholarly tone. "Don't underestimate it. This is armor forged by divine hands- though it feels light, it will stand up to any blade or strike. But the trick is- you have to have faith that you will be protected by this armor, though it may not seem much else but a doublet with armor on the sleeves, a pair of gauntlets and greaves, a pair of breeches, and a coronet. Not even a helmet! But that is the point; you must believe that this holy armor will protect you."

Hiirogane nodded understandingly, her eyes shifting forwards again. "I understand that much- 'Faith is one's best shield; Truth, one's best sword.' It's what Curilla always said." She went silent for a moment, reflecting on other things that her former captian had said. Seeing that her face had gone into that solemn, reflective state again, she said nothing. It was best not to interrupt anyone who was that deep in the past- at least, she thought so. But she filed it away for later... She had a talent for reading people's emotions from their faces, and if not that, their eyes. Even those with a cold, unemotional facade -such as that uppity, self-righteous Papsque- could be easily read through thier eyes. So she nodded, and smiled over to the man to their left. "A profound statement, don't you think, Mesachedeau?"

He grunted his approval. He didn't even seem to be listening, simply watching the road ahead of him. But Pitié saw right through it. _He doesn't like her,_ she thought. _Why? He doesn't even know her! It's so unfair- his stubborn, foolish pride is interfering with the bigger picture. Hmph... perhaps men are more difficult to understand than I thought. If only they weren't so stubborn_. She shrugged, and rode onwards.

* * *

"So, what do we do now, taru?" 

Juunikyuu cringed at Kipo-Maripo's voice. For the first time in thier short history, she was quite angry at him. He had decided to run off without thinking, and she had tried to help him do so. And now, though it was her decision to tag along and not be bored, they were stuck together, in a bad spot of trouble. The Ducal Guards would be on the watch from now on, and things would no longer be pretty for them in the city. The only solution, or at least the only feasible one, was to turn themselves in, apologize, and let things run their course. But that wasn't such a good idea anymore... it was still night out, and things were not so good at night around the Battalia Downs. But those events were for later; right now, she had business to take care of. Mainly, the business of giving the absent-minded taru a good talking to. She felt like cutting him in two and telling the guards that she had taken care of the thief, but a part of her mind nagged at that notion... so she resorted to scolding him.

"What do I look like, a psychic? I just don't underrrrstand why I have to decide what to do all the time. I helped you escape, I helped you wtih yourrrr woodworrrking, I helped you aim properrrly with yourrr bow, and now you ask me what we're going to do next? Use the brrrain the Goddess gave you! Did you get any inforrrrmation about your fatherrrr?" Now, if one will notice, Juunikyuu tends to get into her island accent in times of extreme emotion or stress. Right now, she was pissed off, and her voice was a very dangerous mix between a deadly purr and the growl of one in a feral rage. Beautiful combination, if she weren't quite so angry.

Kipo had raised his hands in a defensive position. _Angry kitty-witty, taru! I've seen a mithra-withra get all hackled, and it's not pretty-witty, taru... I'd better talk fast! _"H-hey, sorry! I was too busy trying to fill my tummy-wummy, taru! Guy's gotta eat something, y'know? Besides, the Tenshodo wouldn't let me in taru, and they're the besty-westy in information gathering!" Juunikyuu's ears perked up when the Tenshodo Black Market was mentioned. The legendary smuggling operaion during the war could get supplies, troop movements, secrets of the enemy... even missing persons. She turned towards Kipo, a cunning look on her face.

"Well then, why didn't you say so, murr? I'll get you in there. But firrrrst... we've gotta get ourselves back into Jeuno." Kipo nodded, but then shook his head vigorously. "You crazy, lady? They'll be out in full force, waiting for us! Why, oh why would you go back in there, taru?" She simply picked him up and carried him across his shoulder. "H-hey! Put me down, meanie-weanie! Why're we going back?" She awnsered him with a continued scolding. "Because it's the rrright thing to do, and you have to learrrn how to take responsibility for your actions. Ever hearrrrd of a thing called honorrr? Or maybe honesty?" Each virtue that was spoken brought Kipo's eyes further to the ground. "No? Well you're about to learn, rrrreal quick. Forrr starters, I'm going to put you to worrrk for me. Got it?"

His head perked up and his eyes widened. "Hey, that wasn't in the dealie-wealie, taru! You said you'd help me, not make me work for your help!" She grinned, her fangs glistening in the early sunlight. "Well, this little stunt you pulled just changed the fine prrrrint. Now, sit still!" Kipo pouted, but did as she asked. It wasn't like he could do anything else. But as he expected, the two guards saw them coming and crossed their swords, blocking their way. One galka, one hume. They both looked like they were the lowly ones of the bunch- overzealous, overreactive, and easily offended.

"Halt! You two are the ones we're looking for, aren't you?" Juunikyuu looked between them, putting a note of calm, yet firm command in her voice. "And do you ask everrrryone this question?" They both had the looks of "how-did-you-know" on their faces, but quickly composed themselves. "It looks like you do... but I'll forrrgive you. I'm turrrning this one in-" She hefted Kipo by the back of his collar and held him suspended in mid-air, "And heading back to my rrroom here, thank you." They looked at each other and then back to her, with her face still calm and her eyes attentive. "Um..." The hume started speaking first. "We have to put you both under an interrogation, just to see if your stories check out. Hold your positions while we contact the captain. If we find you both gone, we'll sound the alarm." Juunikyuu nodded and watched as they ran towards the far end of the street.

"Hey, hey... now's our chance, taru! We gotta get- ACK!" The escape plan was interrupted by the mithran samurai quickly whipping him around to face her with a quick flick of her wrist. "And you do remember where one of yourrrr plans got us? We were rrrright smack dab in the middle of tiger terrritory when you told me you didn't know squat about wherrre your father was. We do this my way, and try again when we have everrrrything we came for. Got it?"

Kipo gave her a sour look, but nodded. After a few hours, the two came back. "The captain will see you now... come with us."

* * *

The chocobos were getting tired on the way through Jugner Forest. That said, they let them go as soon as they reached the outpost- Bastok-controlled. Mesachedeau managed to keep a straight face, though he was secretly wanting to take this outpost back here and now. Seeing another flag in what was supposed to be their territory made him queasy. Pitié however, just looked tired. The Iron Musketeer that was standing watch looked at the three of them, his eyes finally resting on Hiirogane. His military training wouldn't allow him to move from that spot, but he did admire her artistic beauty from afar. Still, even this man had morals. 

"Do you all need assistance? Take note that this station is controlled by Bastok, so I can't do much for you." Mesa almost said something, but the healer of the group put a delicate hand on his shoulder to stop him. His body visibly calmed, and he nodded to her. Hiirogane found that she had to speak for them. "We are not allied with any one nation... and all we want is rest and shelter from the more... interesting creatures out tonight." The man quirked an eyebrow quizzicly. "Not tied to anyone, eh? You all must be freeswords, then." Hiirogane nodded. "Something of that extent. I'll explain just as soon as we're inside... if you will give us the pleasure of staying here for the night."

The man finally nodded after a few moments, and opened the door for them. Hiirogane and Pitié gave their thanks, while Mesachedeau simply swept his way through, as if thanks were lost on mere humes. In any event, they were in, and Hiirogane explained. At the very least, it was... difficult. They all had sardonic smiles on their faces- every one of the Musketeers in the barracks did not believe one word... all save for the captain, who let them in. He could see a faint aura around the elvaan woman- well, girl actually. She looked not a day over seventeen, and yet she had traces of power surrounding her. As for the other woman, a hume like him, hers was much brighter- but he had a feeling that the light could blind a mere mortal. The strength of this one was barely contained... unless the White Mage was holding hers back as well, and with a higher level of control.

His tactical mind deduced that the latter was true- it was the only explination. _The cleric- that is what those red and white robes stand for, after all- has a deeper command of her energies. The knight, or something to that extent, must have just gotten her abilities, and in a very impromptu way. Perhaps there is some merit to their tale._ But they still laughed, finally calming down enough for one of them to speak. "Nice bedtime story, ladies. Unfortunately, faerie tales are for children- which we are not. So then, just call yourselves freeswords or sellswords, but don't try to hoodwink us." More laughter, which made Pitié's face contort into a morbid expression, as if she were going to cry. But the laughter and the deluge of tears stopped when the captain spoke.

"Whoever said anything about them trying to hoodwink you?"

Many of the Musketeers turned their heads toward him, an expression of disbelief on their faces. "But they've gotta be! This is all just San d'Orian faith and folly- all faerie tales! Sure, I've read 'em, and they're nice to think about every once in a while, but-" The captain raised a hand to silence the man who spoke. "Hear me out. I could sense their auras while they were explaining themselves- the two women, that is. There is some merit to their tale- you see her armor, gentlemen? I've never seen that color of white ANYWHERE before. Do you see any signs of wear and tear- hell, a dirt speck?"

Some of them actually looked. They didn't see anything. But many still scoffed. "So it's new armor- we all have to upgrade sooner or later. What's the point?" The captain continued. "Maybe you're right... but take a look at this. May I?" Hiirogane nodded as he lifted her gold-lined shield, showing the intricate patterns on it. "This is not just for decoration, gentlemen. I sensed something strange about it... and now, I'm going to test it right here." He delicately put the shield on the floor- it was a divine object, so he was careful with it- and walked toward the weapon racks. Once there, he took a mithril lance- take note that mithril was a material that could, when forged into a weapon, pierce any known armor or shield- and readied himself.

"HAAAAH!" He thrust towards the shield with immense speed, the weapon and his arms a blur. Sparks flew from the defensive plate as the lance struck the surface and scraped against it. And he struck again, and again... for a total of five strokes. The last one had an eerie aura surrounding it, as if the air wavered for a brief moment before he struck. This was supposed to be able to penetrate anything alive... but as he whirled the five-foot spear around his person and back to ready stance, lo and behold; it remained intact!

And without a scratch!

The men in the room muttered in disbelief. But there were a few that saw it and looked with wonder- yes, sheer wonder- at Hiirogane. She looked back and nodded solemnly. She had their full attention now, at least. "You see now?" The captain spoke. "Any other shield would have been punched through five times by that skill, without pause. And this shield comes through without a scratch." He picks the shield up again, touching his forehead to the surface briefly as if in apology before handing it back to Hiirogane. She smiled at him- here before here was someone of honor- and though he might not have been an avid follower, he did see things that others could not.

"And just in case you were wondering otherwise- like say, the armor..." After giving the shield back, and making sure his back was completely turned... he turned back around, drawing his falchion! His right hand was a blur as he showed his expert skill and timing, and Mesachedeau was not hesitant to get himself moving. But for how fast he was, even the Royal Knight could not reach for his sword in time. Pitié gasped in shock as the blow struck with blinding speed and uncanny accuracy across Hiirogane's chest, slashing across her breasts and potentially killing her.

Potentially being the main word...

But sparks flew, even though the armor was not armor at all- in fact, it was cloth. The finest silk; unclouded, uncolored, and untouched until now. But even with the wide, sharp blade with an edge as keen as a winter's night, it remained intact and without blemish. Hiirogane remained unfazed, though her eyes widened just a bit at the sheer speed of the man's attack. She traced his movement and saw the hand reach for the blade; saw his muscles move and shift in order to attack. But it was still damned fast. _If he had a divine relic in his hands, I would not want to be his enemy,_ she thought.

The rest of the room fell completely silent at this and turned towards her. The only sounds that were made were two swords being sheathed. Note- two. Mesachedeau's face finally showed expression, which was a first. The armor was actually a divine artifact- meaning that nothing could pierce it, save for another divine weapon. His expression, though one could not define it... was respect. No jealousy, no anger... just respect. Maybe she truly was chosen... but this was not enough to found a solid conclusion. Still... without doing anything, she had earned his respect. Not because of her armor, but because she had not moved one inch during the attack.

_Her faith is unwavering... she fully placed her trust in the armor- no, in the Goddess- and before my eyes, Altana has not failed her. And that man; he leads his men well, with conviction. He even has a bit of faith- or at least an eye for the spiritual. Perhaps... perhaps not every hume is unjust or full of cowardice. _He nodded towards the captain, and the man nodded back. "Your laughing stops here. Treat our guests with respect."

They all stood and saluted, many looking towards the three travelers with a newfound amazement.

"**Sir!**"

* * *

Wolfgang, Captain of the Ducal Guards, silently looks upon the mithra and the tarutaru sitting before him, wondering how he got this investigation in the first place. After a series of clever robberies and pickpocketing, here a young fifteen year old tarutaru was, admitting that he was responsible for the acts- along with a nineteen year old mithra, whacking him on the back of the head for every detail he missed. He couldn't help but smile- he didn't have to take care of this situation himself after all. The tarutaru, named Kipo-Maripo, managed to look crestfallen and humble, and a single look into his eyes saw that it was genuine._ Perhaps he had been explained that only honest work can earn one something truly valuable, _Wolfgang mused to himself. 

With the tales finally over, the black haired, brown eyed captain spoke. "Hmm... it seems the situation is under control. And I trust that you will be reimbursing all parties involved, whether monetarily or otherwise?" Juunikyuu nodded. "I make enough money to settle any claims- it's a good deal you'rrrre giving us, Captain." Wolfgang gave them both a stern look. "I make this deal because I see that you have this young man reigned in. He does need an influence to keep him from committing these acts outside of wartime- in a battle against the beastmen or some other agressive opponent, it is fine. Amongst the popluace, it is a crime and will be punished. Make him see the difference, and this will not happen again. Because if it does, I will be forced to teach him, and it will not be pretty."

They all stood and shook hands before going on their way. Kipo, while thankful that he was saved, didn't look at Juunikyuu all that day. He wanted to kiss her and kill her at the same time- he was getting along fine on his own, and would have thought of his own way into the Tenshodo, either by reputation or by sneaky-ness. But no matter- here was a lady who was willing to help, but as with everything, there was a catch. He would be reformed, so to speak, into who he used to be when his Da was still around.

This both calmed him... and frightened him greatly. _There are plenty of scary-wary things out there, and I might get eaten for someones entree if I'm not careful-wareful, taru. I have to stay sharp! But... I'm starting to wonder if staying sharp all the time is a good thing. I just wanna go home with my Da and pretend like that letter never-ever happened._ Juunikyuu on the other hand was looking straight forward, considering her next actions. _Okay, so this kid needs to grrrrow up, and I have to teach him how. Murr, I wish he still had his motherrrr to look after him. That way, he'd neverrrr have done all this. But things being as they are, I'll have to pick up the slack. Still, I wonderrrr..._

"Hey, Kipo?" The taru awnsered without looking up. "Yeah?" Juunikyuu asked her question slowly, not wanting to disturb her charge any further. "Did your Da everrr tell you... y'know, stories about your motherrrr?" Kipo managed to look thoughtful for a moment, and then awnsered quietly- "It's besty-westy that we speak of this in more... closed and quiet quarters, rightaru? I mean, we don't want anyone getting any funny ideas..." Juunikyuu nodded and smiled. He was getting out of his funk already. She liked him better when he was happy and carefree. "Y'know, you're rrright. Hey, I'll tell you stories about how I grrrew up- how about that?" He perked up as he heard this. He wondered how she didn't end up with the distinctive tribal markings of other mithra, or how she was able to handle a bow and arrows as if she had been born with them in her hands. Not to mention the sword- that elegant, razor-sharp, four foot long katana that had a blue and white pattern around the hilt and a white scabbard with a blue leviathan spiraling around the length. It was the most wonderous thing he had ever seen, and he wanted to know about it.

He wanted to know about her. For the first time in a long time, he was genuinely curious about a person- how they lived, what they did, where tehy came from, and who their parents were. He just wouldn't say it directly.

"Yeah? Well don't make it too boring, taru. I don't wanna sleep through the whole thing!"

As they made their way back to the Lower Jeuno residential area and their room, Juunikyuu figured that it would be quite interesting from this point forward. Though he would never admit it, Kipo would have agreed. Hell, he might even have fun for once- and not the kind of fun that running from tigers and orcs and goblins (oh, my) provided. Yes, this was the start of something good... either that, or a royal mess.

* * *

One of the lookouts at the Jugner outpost managed to see something in the distance- no, not so much see as hear. Something was rustling through the trees out there. He didn't dare move- but he could hear them. Hell, smell them. They smelled like they came from Davoi. It was a grimy, wet smell, which made it seem like these guys either needed a bath... or had taken a bath in the very waters of the orcish stronghold. In any case, he ran inside as quietly as possible and informed them all of the situaion in a few brief words. 

"Heads up, lads! We got a possible ambush out there tonight- orc raiding party, might be bringing along a few friends." The captain nodded and everyone stood, reaching for their weapons. Hiirogane, Mesachedeau and Pitié looked at each other before raising their weapons as well. Amongst the sounds of various swords, shields, spears, lances, and rifles being equipped, Hiirogane said a prayer with the resident white mage. _Preseve, protect, deliver us from their hand O Goddess. You are our strength._ But Mesachedeau walked out first, with the captain close behind. Thinking he was alone, he tasted the air with his nose and grinned slightly as he confirmed what the guard had said.

"I can smell 'em. They're close- closer than anticipated. At least I get some training on this journey!"

The captain of the garrison spoke, making the elvaan turn his head. "Training is all good and well, but it seems like a larger force than expected... I'd say about three, perhaps four squadrons. We'll be sorely outnumbered." Mesa turned back toward the trees and spoke without looking at the man. "Numbers do not win a battle- these orcs will be easy pickings for us. I am not concerned about how outnumbered we are, but thank you for stating the obvious." The captain smirked as the man spoke in a disdainful tone. "I know that perfectly well- I'm simply calculating the odds and how many will need to fall before a solid position can be attained. But that's beside the point.. you don't like me, do you?"

As Mesa turned to speak to him, the sound of air being moved at a rapid pace was heard by both. Niether turned around toward the direction of the noise, but both knew what it was. An arrow. And if the sound of this one hitting its mark was heard, more would follow out of simple bloodlust. The key word here, however, was if. The captain caught the arrow effortlessly, his right hand snapping upwards and catching the arrow between his index and middle finger, tossing it carelessly to the ground afterwards.

"No. But I do respect you. You are one of the only examples of a hume warrior who is not cowardly or unchivalrous. A tactical mind and a sense for that which is not physical, but ethereal... I have seen no one like you, sir. So you have my respect... but not my trust. Not yet." The hume nodded and extended his hand in a greeting. "Then consider this an offering of faith. My name's Richard, captain of this garrison of Iron Musketeers." The elvaan extended his hand and shook Richard's. "Mesachedeau, Royal Knight of San d'Oria." The two of them nodded, and both looked out into the forest. Then, he asked a quite difficult question to him- he really had never been asked this in their short time together, and it was such a sudden question that he wasn't ready for it.

"Do you believe her?"

He blinked for a moment as his mind processed the question, then awnsered quietly. "I am starting to. I do not believe her ready for such a burden, but I have seen enough within her to know this: she _will_ be ready in time. It does not mean that I trust her, but I do respect her faith in the Goddess. And you? Do you believe?" Richard had a moment to think before awnsering. "Yes. I have seen things that boggle the mind and would make men of faith tremble and kneel in reverence. But I have never, in my entire life, seen something like this. Even so... I need to know for sure. Perhaps we will know tonight... because one's true character is revealed under extreme circumstances."

Mesachedeau nodded, and heard two more shafts fly through the air- one from the front, aimed for Richard's face, and the other aimed for his own left temple. Neither one hit its mark as both of them caught the projectiles and broke them in two with a quiet snap. Said actions happened almost in tandem... as if they were so focused they could read each other's movements. For a moment, they looked at each other, then headed back inside at a run. Good thing too, because the arrows rained from the sky and from all sides, landing in front of, behind, and even through the outpost!

Perhaps it was over sooner than expected...

_To be continued..._

* * *

**_K.T.S.:_** Yeaaaaah! Now that's a good one to end with! Let me know how you feel about this one, okay? Shiny review button down there- click it, please. I was really excited about this chapter, and I hope you are too. Oh, and the name of the white mage is a french word. Translated directly, _Pitié _means "mercy". An appropriate name for a healer, non? 

_**Au revoir.**_


	6. Chronicle 6: Garrison, To Arms!

She heard the shafts fly- her ears vibrated slightly and unnoticably as they soared through the air. They were arrows- and a whole mass of them. Either the archers were immense in number, or they were firing quite fast. No matter; she had to do something, and fast! By her best estimation, the arrows were coming in no more than ten seconds. She needed much less time than that in order to do what she needed to- fortunately, her training in the Church of Altana in San d'Oria would come in handy right about now. So she raised her voice as high as she could. Everyone needed to hear this, whether they knew what was coming or not.

"**Gather to me, now!**" They all turned, surprised at the note of command from such a young woman. They were about to protest when they heard what she was hearing. That was bad- because that meant that four seconds had already passed. However, they did see something else. Now that they believed and had seen the evidence of such things, they saw her aura of power. An ice-blue light surrounded her as her lips moved at a frantic pace, her staff raised in the air with the gemstone pointing skyward. A chant- she was readying a spell. And whatever was coming needed it. They rushed toward her position, and not a moment too soon. She said the same prayer over and over again- the repitition was for a quite simple reason. Each time she chanted the mantra, the spell got stronger.

_"Protect us with thy wings, protect us with thy wings, protect us with thy wings..." _This was said with an almost unintelligible speed, and just about at a whisper. Five seconds remained, but it was enough. Hiirogane watched, immensely interested in what she was about to do. Based on the prayer that she had become so familiar with, it was a protect spell. Depending on what was said in the prayer, it could protect one or many. And the word that was key was us- not me. A Protectra spell... and from the number of repititions, it was going to be a big one. Four seconds, three... _"Protect us with thy wings, protect us with thy wings, **protect us with thy wings, Goddess Altana!**"_As time passed, her voice raised in volume until it was almost shouted. She didn't need to use such passion in her spell- but sometimes putting one's emotions into the chant helped. Sure enough, though... it worked this time. With two seconds left, she quickly knelt to the floor, slamming the back end of her staff into the wood floor. The sphere of light, which was now a decent size of around half a foot in diameter, transformed into something else: a dome of pale blue light that surrounded the entire company, with Richard and Mesachedeau running into the circle of power before it closed.

But it wasn't just one- it was another. And another, and another, and another, forming a total of five. The arrows rained... and hit the barrier that was formed. The most powerful defensive spell that a White Mage had: Fifth-Tier Protectra. And it had saved their lives.

* * *

**Kanto The Slayer** presents... 

A _Final Fantasy XI_ fan fiction

**_Chronicles of Vana'diel_**

**_

* * *

_**

As the cool night air fell over the Duchy of Jeuno, Kipo-Maripo begins telling stories of his mother. Or at least, telling the stories that his father told him. The two of them sat in front of the fireplace, pulling up two very comfortable armchairs while Juunikyuu worked on some sort of robe or other garment, her hands keeping busy while her ears listened to the tales. The silk was spun over and over again, her well-trained hands never skipping a beat as the stories were told from memories long stored.

His mother was a White Mage- one of a quite high reputation. Skilled in alchemy and with a forte in healing magic, she could treat any injury, sickness, or wound. With the right potion, taken at the right dosage per day, anything could be fixed. On the field, was the only time she used her White Magic, with most of her defensive spells used for personal protection. The others that she traveled with could defend themselves, and she did have to travel often. After all, a proper doctor had to make housecalls to other places of business- Selbina, Mhaura, Jeuno; sometimes as far out as San d'Oria.

Her name was Anna-Miranda, and her reputation was one that was known throughout the world. Riding on chocobo day in and day out, she healed those who needed it, and always for an affordable price. Sometimes, she even did it for free if one really needed it. But still, she was making a sizable amount of money- which she never really cared about anyways. Her joy was helping those in need, using her Goddess-given talents. But one day, all of that would change drasticly as she found someone on the brink of death, just in Bibiki Bay. The cuts and bruises that he had sustained were far too much for a taru to take- the man looked like death warmed over. However, strewn around about a fifteen-foot radius were the bodies of those who he had taken with him- he was running from a goblin raiding party.

Deciding that it was about time he stopped running, the man wearing mostly black had fought to the last, his Battle Bow striking down target after target. Armored goblins were pierced clean through, the holes in their armor still showing faint traces of smoke from the rounds from a rifle. His targe, dented and almost beyond repair via the arrows and crossbow bolts, fell to the floor as he saw the blurred images of the healer and her party coming towards him. His gun, a Hellfire, clattered to the rocky ground as he found that he could finally give up. He fell to the ground just as Anna got there, and she caught him before the man could knock himself on the stones.

"Hush, now... it'll be all right. It's all over now. Let's get this man back to the camp, taru! Now, and I mean yesterday!"

When he came to, there she was again. The slight haze in the room led him to believe that he had died. Thus, the first things he said were almost foolish, and yet fit perfectly. "This has to be Paradise... the Goddess is good to me, taru. I've never seen such a pretty-witty girl in my life, so I must be dead." She smiled sweetly, blushing despite herself. "You're kinda handsome-wandsome yourself, if you weren't all bruised up and such. Don't worry, you're still alive, not to mention that you shouldn't hurt- if you don't move." He did nothing but nod slightly and closed his eyes again. "H-hey, now! Don't sleep on me just yet!" He moaned slightly and opened his eyes again. "But I was having such a good dream, taru... I'd like to get back to it. But please speak- I've got a bit of time to chat."

She nodded and whisked a small, tubular bottle from her bag. "Potion. You'll be taking this two times a day until the bruises and cuts are all gone. I'd use my healing-wealing on you, but this isn't a fight. I'm starting to wonder how you made it through all those gobbie-wobbies wtihout passing out." The man with the black clothing tapped his beret and smiled faintly. "Mind over matter, my dear... mind over matter. It's the way a monk or samurai fights, and how they can survive with all that pressure on them, taru." He coughed a few times as the lack of air finally got to him, then regained his breath. Though he couldn't speak any more, due to the potion being fed to him, he was grateful for the assistance.

For the next few weeks, it went on like this. As he regained his health, he told her more about himself. The clothing he wore was a War Beret, Jupon, Gloves, Brais, and a pair of War Boots. A tarutaru who looked more like an assasin than a hunter. And in a way, he was- he carried two Hawker's Knives with him. It was something that the ninja did, in order to double their effectiveness. More importantly however was the fact that he wore no ring or identifying mark what so ever, though he claimed to be from Windurst. She wasn't enchanted by him entirely, but she was intrigued. Still, all good things had to end sometime, and when the caravan began to leave, he stated that he had to part ways as well. He had to report back to his station, whatever that meant. But in any event, he decided that he would go with them for a ways, as payment for all that they had done.

However, a ways turned into something of a much longer stint, until they finally made their way back to Jeuno. They stopped for emergency calls, babies being delivered, people that needed tending to, adventurers that had gotten in a spot of trouble on the road and needed help... by the time they reached Jeuno to resupply, he said to excuse him for a moment while he took care of something. It took him most of the day, but they waited. He was surprised to find that they were still where they were all day, or at least it seemed that way. They asked if he would join their party as a temporary addendum, seeing as he was already shown as an efficient guard of sorts. He nodded vigorously, happy that he got to see his "angel" again.

From there, one thing led to another, and it seemed as if Anna would not leave without Kipo's father beside her, or at least nearby. He didn't mind, but didn't know why she wanted him so near all the time. He chalked it up to being the best at what he did, but it was an entirely different reason. He was charming, handsome, well-mannered, a bit battle-hardened but not to the point of being cold and unemotional. The perfect bodyguard. Not to mention he had a shady past and moved faster than her eyes could trace, much less anyone's eyes for that matter. She wondered how he could move that fast, though she had heard that it takes years of training and focus in order to be able to move at such a speed. But no matter- he did it, she was safe, and she was happy to have him.

Of course, one night while he was out on a scouting run, looking for targets to pick off, she managed to follow him. Of course, on the moonlit night, one would expect her to tell him how she felt... but the fact was that she simply didn't know how, or even if she should. She still had so many things to see and do- so many plans to make. And even so, she didn't think she would be saying much of anything... but when she finally caught up with him, everything just went out the window. He looked incredibly lonely as he stared up at the moon, legs dangling precariously off of one of the expansive clilffs in the Meriphataud mountain range. He was just sitting there, watching the crane flies pass by idly, when she spoke.

"You look wonderful in this moonlight; did you know that?" He said nothing, simply looking at the full, pearlescent moons above. She simply sat next to him, held his hand and rested her head on his shoulder., looking at the moon with him. Somewhere that night, they told each other that they loved one another. It simply slipped out- something as natural as the passing of time. And while it wasn't the man's first kiss, it was certainly his best. From there, everything was downhill- they didn't try to hide it, fight it, or deny it. Simple as that. Everyone knew, everyone approved, and no one complained. It was really a good time for them...

But he never did tell her who he worked for, much less his own son. It was the only problem, but the question was never asked, due to the fact that he had never been called upon again. The rest, as they say, was history.

Well, not all of it was history. Not yet.

* * *

A deafening roar sounded off from the surrounding forests. This... was not good. The orcs were coming, and they were not happy. Either that, or they were very eager to tear the survivors apart, if there were any. Little did they know that the entire garrison was still alive, and quite well at that. Richard grimaced, his silver chainmail shining faintly in the moonlight. "Do not move until you see them coming. They can probably smell us and see us much better this evening, so stay sharp. I want rifles at the ready at all times, and no reckless charging. if we can drive them far back enough, we could probably stave them off for long enough to call for reinforcements if need be. Understood?" They all nodded solemnly, a bristle of metal and wood and rifles glinting faintly. Hiirogane stood up and began walking towards the front entrance, snatching one of the last remaining polearms from the weapon rack before heading out. 

It was a glaive, save for the fact that the blade was much bigger. Spanning about two feet in length with a five foot pole, and at six inches wide at the widest point, it was a rather heavy weapon, seeing as it was crafted from darksteel... but Hiirogane swung the damned thing as if she were weilding something made of bamboo. "Hiirogane, what are you doing? We're not done yet..." She turned and smiled back at Pitié. "I'm buying you some time- hopefully causing a distraction. It may be enough to get you all set for a seperate attack. Don't worry- they can't hurt me. As she walked out the front door, she closed her eyes and began chanting a spell. Hopefully, by the time they reached her she'd have it ready.

_"Light of justice, blind their sight..."_

She continued chanting, her ears picking up the sounds of crude broadswords being raised and swung through the air. Spears and rough-hewn swords were brandished. Of course, her concentration was focused solely on this spell- it'd take a whole lot to keep her from casting it. Thus, when she heard a sword being raised not far from her position, she knew they were close enough to spit on. She opened her eyes, seeing a sizable attack wave before her- roughly seven or eight orcs. She finally finished her chant, shouting the prayer out for all the orc raiders to hear. What happened next was obvious- although one wouldn't see the effects at first. The aura that surrounded Hiirogane got substantially brighter with each chant of the mantra. Thus, when she finally shouted it out, the light exploded from her in about a ten foot radius, thus making most of the incoming raiders blind for a few moments. These few moments were all she needed to level the darksteel glaive, swing it in a full circle, and set it back to ready position. The top-heavy orcs slammed to the floor after being properly eviscerated with just one slice.

Their death wails brought the rest of any nearby orcs to attention, bearing their gaze on her. She smiled sweetly and leveled the glaive again. "Well, come on. Isn't this what you came here for?" But they were wary; cautious. Usually, orcs were not this bright, nor were they this well-trained. They were stalling for the other attack group, she finally realized, and her eyes narrowed in dangerous slits. "Clever. But not clever enough!" She rushed forward, plunging head-first into the group with ther polearm flashing in a dangerous arc in front of her. She moved with such speed that the orcs before her were mowed down, but there were still around fifteen left. She had to get a move on. While she was landing, three of the orcs made an attempt to pierce her with thier spears- and yet they all were shocked as they were broken on her sacred armor. But they did have the effect of pushing her backwards. But the trick that she was going to pull off worked anyway, just in a different manner.

She was planning on using the glaive as a focal point for a rotary kick- a move where she placed one of her legs around the shaft of the weapon and the other extended, using her weight to rotate around the polearm. In effect, the orcs would get smashed in their heads and possibly be stunned for a bit. Though the kick didn't work, the pole was shoved into the ground, thus limiting the distance she was shoved back. With the blade dragging through the ground, she was only shoved three feet back instead of the six or seven she would have cleared if she had not grounded herself properly. But they were still coming, and she had a move ready that was definitely going to be impressive if it worked. As they came rushing forward again, she shoved one hand forward, forming a rune with the first two fingers of her left hand after doing so. Her hand moving in an untracable blur, the rune was finished within the fraction of a second. After removing her hand, a tear in the very fabric of space opened... and as she reeled back with her spear, they had effectively covered three-fourths of the distance, swords already streaking towards her. It was a shame that they wouldn't make it as she thrust the glaive into the rift...

And from the ground shot a much bigger version of the curved blade. And we're talking about MUCH bigger. Dirt and stone flew everywhere as the weapon came forth, and so did the orc raiders. If they were not cut cleanly in two, they were given mortal wounds upon impact. She quickly withdrew the polearm and the tear closed right after it, almost cutting the blade off. But though eleven of the orcs had been decimated, the four that had reached her were still moving.

Unfortunately, their weapons were ruined as well. The crude bronze longswords were completely shattered, while the machetes they carried were simply stopped, the blades making a loud clang against nothing more than silk. Against any other armor, those weapons would have carved into it quite easily after a few blows. Hiirogane smirked and whacked the back end of the glaive against the orc closest to her right, before giving him a swift back kick to the head, knocking him to the floor with the heel of her right boot. She immediately followed through with the movement, turning on her heel with her right leg raised at the knee, cutting in a low circle. The movement was so fast and with such a heavy weapon that the next two orcs did not expect it to come. Their legs were forcibly removed before Hiirogane raised the glaive above her head, slamming the sharp edge into the farthest orc's back. Not missing a beat, she used the blade as a focal point and raised herself on the shaft of the glaive, hoping to slam down on the next orc in line.

It didn't work this time as he moved out of the way of the incoming blade and made a thrust punch at Hiirogane's midsection. That attack was not even allowed to reach the armor as she quickly righted herself, using the current energy built up within her from the landing to step forward and stomp on the ground, shoving her right hand forward to intercept the orc's left. His hand was broken and his elbow was paralyzed, leaving her enough time to quickly grab the glaive, flip the blade so the edge was facing upwards, and lift harshly, putting most of her weight on her forward leg. The orc was violently, yet quite cleanly cut in two from the bottom up. As blood sprayed everywhere, her armor was painted red instead of the pristine white. But with all the commotion, she couldn't hear the other orc that she had knocked down approach, ready to whack her in the head with a hammer blow.

Then, a shot was heard. Hiirogane turned around quickly, lowering her weapon before doing so. The orc behind her slumped to the floor. Looking to her left, she saw the barrel of a smoking rifle, held with only one hand with the finger depressing the trigger. Richard had saved her, but had a quite impressed look on his face. He had heard the sonic blast from Hiirogane's Flash spell, and went to investigate, leaving Mesachedeau in charge of the defense. Taking a few other with him to support her, they instead found multiple orc troops disemboweled, decapitated, and otherwise dead, and a bloody Hiirogane was responsble for the decimation of a third of the enemy force. They could do nothing but applaud in appreciation for her work.

"Excellent. I caught some of your moves- those are not the manuvers of any knight I've seen. You have monk training... and I'm wondering where you got it." Hiirogane, her breathing labored, shook her head. "No time- we have to help the others. But I can't go like this..." She closed her eyes and brought her hands upwards in a wide circle. This little stunt didn't need any mantras or chants- she had been thinkning about a way to unfurl her wings without expanding so much energy and without so much drama. Thus when she brought her hands together in the center of her chest, enough energy was gathered. Moving slowly do as not to expound the energy too soon, she stretched her arms forward, bringing them into a relaxed position with the arms slightly bent. After taking a deep breath, she pushed her arms inward and pressed them against her chest, forcing her wings to snap outwards behind her.

The blood from her back flew from her body as the wings of light exploded from her back, her aura cleansing her armor of the gore. After stretching them for a bit, her wings completely folded over the front of Hiirogane, hiding her completely. When they unfurled again, she was completely free of blood and guts. The Iron Musketeers simply stood in awe as the entire process happened in no more than twenty seconds. Then she smiled warmly and closed her eyes, letting the wings vanish. She was using her energy to form them, after all- there was no need to waste them so. With that, she left the glaive where it was and unslung her shield, fitting it onto her left arm before making a beeline for the sounds of battle.

One of the men turned towards their captain and spoke in a hushed tone. "What the hell is she?"

He turned toward them and sighed to himself. "Must it be repeated, now that you've seen it with your own eyes? She is the Hand of Altana- Her messenger and her power incarnate. I didn't think this would happen so soon, but it did. Things should be interesting now, gentlemen..."

* * *

As Juunikyuu listened to the tale, she wondered if this man who was his father was a true assasin. There were plenty of people who would not hesitate to go for the "death for hire" route these days, seeing as Conquest was actually a sort of mock war that was on the brink of actual war. Still, she did notice one thing- wearing mostly black with a hint of red was a defiinte characteristic for someone of the Tenshodo. This tarutaru, who was an expert ranger with ninja techniques, sounded like someone the smuggling operation would hire. In any event, she spoke after a while. Their ties to the Tenshodo were definitely coming back to haunt them both, so she'd best tell him now. 

"Kipo, listen closely, murr. I think yourrrr father might be either a reconnaisance agent orrrr an assasin for the Tenshodo." Kipo shook his head at the thought. His Da, the kind yet strict father who had taught him how to shoot- how to hunt? The man who had loved his mother so, and constantly told him stories? Certainly he couldn't have such a shady past. But then again, he never told anyone about said shady past... which is why it was so... shady. But in any event, he shook his head vigorously. "No, can't be. He'd have told me something so incredibly awesome, right? He'd have told me everything. My Da doesn't keep secrets, taru." Juunikyuu nodded, but continued on. "But he cerrrrtainly sounds like someone trrrained by the Tenshodo- probably somewherrres in Bastok, maybe Jeuno itself."

Kipo shook his head in disbelief. "You can't know about this. You have no idea who my Da is! How can you say such things, taru?" He sounded angry, betrayed. Tears welled in his eyes slightly. She tried to explain to him why she had figured out exactly who he was working for- or at least, how she guessed so accurately. "You're rrrright, I don't underrrstand him or know who he is. But the techniques... the sheer speed and delivery of attacks; the accuracy of his shots; the use of a gun with such grace and honorrr; that's Tenshodo trrraining. I've had to go thrrrrough that... I know what I'm talking about." Kipo was silent for a long while. When he spoke, he spoke in a hushed whisper. "Then tell me a story too... about your growing up, taru. Tell me everything so I can understand."

Juunikyuu nodded, and started out slowly. "I was abandoned by my momma... my parrrents and my trrribe in Kazham threw me out and left me to die. I can't blame them, for some rrreason. Maybe there was a purrrrpose for it all. When I was five, a scouting parrrty from Norg found me and took me in. I hearrrrd Gilgamesh- he was the leaderrrr of the pirates; prrrobably still is- say that if I worrrked, I ate. At firrrst I cried. A lot. Then they told me to get strrrronger so I wouldn't have to crrrry again... So I trrried my best to help."

Kipo was slightly stunned. He didn't think there was anyone worse off than him, and here was this woman who had been abandoned by her people. But the thing that shocked him was that she was shrugging it off as if it were nothing- he still had scars from his father leaving, plus the sudden revelation that he was in the Tenshodo, working as a spy. In any case, he continued listening, now interested in what she had to say. Pirates! Wow, raised by pirates, taru! I gotta know more... "Well, what did you do there, taru? Did you robbie-wob a ship? Did you hijack some caravan? What, what?"

Juunikyuu laughed as she recalled what she learned how to do first. "I learrrned how to sew." Kipo's jaw dropped. _A toughie like her, sewing? But that's for... for... _Then he almost slapped himself in the head. _Dummie-wummie! She IS a girl! But... she learned how to sew those pretty-witty silk robes... I forgot what they were called. _Though the story would have lost interest by now, he listened anyway. He wanted to know about the Tenshodo, even if it meant sewing all day and such. "Surprrrised? Well I didn't get to join a rrraiding party anytime soon. I didn't know how to defend myself at the time, murr. So I learrrned how to sew and weave, and wherrrre silk came frrrrom and how to get it without paying forrrr it. But I couldn't do that yet- I couldn't use a sword to save my skin, murr." She chuckled warmly and continued with her story.

"Anyways, arrrround the time I was about eight yearrrs old, I made my firrrstkimono. I swear, it was the most beautiful thing you everrr did see. All white and blue and a deeper blue at the hem, with a picture of Leviathan on the back, playing in the waves. I had someone else measurrrre me before I did it- and everrrryone thought it was so prrretty. I was surprised that those pirates had such an aprrrreciation for beauty. So I worrre it around, and people started calling me _Yoshikawa_- it means riverrr of joy. I guess nothing could everrr get me down for long, and the name fit me, seeing as I worrre that kimono everywhere. It can also mean river of good luck, because I never seemed to get in trouble with the pirrrates around Norg."

Now, Kipo had never heard the language of the East before- these were new words to him, and yet she made them sound so fluent and easy, as if she were singing instead of speaking. He listened to her story, becoming lost in it. It were as if he could see the hidden pirate cove, the center of operations for the Tenshodo smuggling ring. And he didn't believe that these pirates were as bad as they seemed. They might be a bit rough-hewn, but they were still good people. _They probably only stealy-wealy from those who have an excess and just sit on it uselessly, taru. That'll certainly teachie them a lesson-wesson, it would! _But he continued paying attention, entranced by the story. His eyes did happen to shift to what she was making, and he found that she was just about done with another Kimono- this one was gold and orange and a deep, dark crimson. She was busy doing the pattern for the depiction of Phoenix, all ablaze and on fire, the last part. And the part which required the most concentration.

Only she wasn't concentrating. She wasn't even looking. Her hands seemed to be moving all by themselves! And the needle did not pierce once.

"Anyways, I figurrred I would start selling my stuff, helping the lady who worrrked at the clothes booth out. So I made 'em, and she sold 'em, and she gave me half the prrrofits. And forrrr a while, it was all right... but by the time I was age twelve, I wanted to get my own materrrials- my own silk, which meant my own needle, which meant my own money. But in orrrder to do that, I had to learrrrn how to fight. So I kept prrracticing my clothcrrraft while trrrying to get an apprenticeship at the forrrge. First I had to know how the weapon worrrked, and in orrrder how to know how it worrrked, I had to make one. Soon enough, I had been hanging arrround enough for the people therrre to know me. And I starrrted asking questions- how was this made, what did that do... it was all verrry interesting."

Kipo nodded, wanting to hear everything. He didn't know it at the moment, but he would never forget the story that was now being told. It was so descriptive, at least to him, that he could remember everything about the cove, the places and where they were, the people that used to be there... everything. In any event, he would keep listening until she was finished, right up to the very end. "Go on, taru. I wanna hear more." She chuckled, and some part of her mind clicked- she was acting like an old lady. No, that wasn't it. She was sharing her experiences- sort of like passing on wisdom. Maybe it was a sign that she wasn't a child anymore. Her fondest wish was to return to Kazham with honor- with some sort of reputation. But that was her own personal thoughts.

"Well the day finally came that I became an apprentice- helping with the bellows, worrrking the forrrge, learrrning how to make these prretty swords and how to use them. Well, the basics of how to use them, anyways. In a few months, I was thirrrteen, and rrready to make my first sword. Matter of fact... She pulled out the blade, the saya threaded neatly through her obi. The sword was a total length of twelve feet, eight and a half inches, with a nine inch long handle and a twenty-five inch long blade. The steel had an almost pale blue sheen to it- a mark of a high-carbon steel. And yet, the watermarks on the surface of the blade were a definite sign of impurities- trace amounts of other metals mixed in. Generally, this steel was called Damascene Wootz... and was the basis for some of the most powerful cutting edges in the world. "You see that?" she said as she drew the blade, stopping halfway. "That's wootz steel. It's naturally like that, due to the impurities that are already in the metal. It's a soft metal already, but it can be turned into one of the sharpest edges in this world."

Kipo nodded dumbly. He wasn't impressed by the sharpness or the purity- or even the durability of the blade. What he was impressed by was the beautiful patterns on the blade's surface. "Water..." he said. "It looks like it's made of water." Juunikyuu smiled and nodded. "And it cuts like water too- nothing stands up to this sword. I gave it a name when I finished it: _Tokugawa no Ryu_- Dragon of the Virtuous River. It's another name forrr Leviathan, god of the oceans." She sheathed the wootz-forged blade again, and as if snapping out of a trance, Kipo blinked his eyes. "That's amazing, taru," he said in a hushed tone. "I've never, ever seen something that pretty-witty, taru. Could I.. could I have one like that? B-but just not as long- a knife of sorts, maybe?"

Hiirogane nodded. "Surrre thing- but you have to make it yourrrself. Don't worry, I'll teach you how." Kipo grinned broadly and actually hopped up a little ways, landing in Hiirogane's lap and giving her a firm hug. "That would be great, taru! I'd love to learn from you, Juuni-kitty, if you'll have me!" She was slightly surprised at the contact, but smiled warmly nonetheless. "Yeah, but firrrst we have to get moving. Tomorrrow, we head for the Tenshodo and ask about yourrrr Da!"

Kipo nodded excitedly. For the first time, he could let the shell he built up fade and be the boy he was, instead of being older than he had to be. Juunikyuu couldn't help but realize that she had done this in no less than a few days, and grinned as Kipo hugged her. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all, murr..._

_

* * *

_

The battle had ended.

It took most of the night, and everyone was just about ready to pass out in sheer exhaustion. But for some reason, Pitié and Hiirogane were fresh as daisies, healing the wounded. Pitie managed to draw a glyph three inches in front of her before shoving it foward gently, her body suddenly surrounded by a much brighter aura. As she placed the Divine Seal of Altana inside her, she felt her very soul become stronger immediately. She only had to chant her next prayer three times before lifting one of her hands into the air, gently touching the sphere of light that she had formed with the index and middle fingers of her right hand. Without warning, the light scattered into thousands of other points and fired off towards the injured within a ten foot radius around her. The light settled into their bodies and quickly spread through their entire being, healing them entirely. Sure, the battle fatigue still set in and they were still in need of some rest, but they were no longer bleeding or broken. No limbs were lost, so that was not a problem to deal with. Lost limbs could not grow back- not even White Magic could fix that.

She looked over to Hiirogane and found a surprise- she was making the same rune with the index and middle fingers of her left hand. She had never known a Paladin to be able to make the Divine Seal before- this was proof that she was the Messenger that had been prophesied about. She watched in fascination as she performed the same chant: _"Deliver us from suffering."_ She had to chant it only once before an extremely bright sphere of light appeared above her head. Touching it in the same way Pitié had earlier, the light scattered. This time, the men were not only healed fully, they had an extra spring in thier step. They had recovered and gained a second wind at the same time.

_Goddess preserve me, for I have looked upon your face in the form of a mortal, _Pitié prayed in her own mind in soul, seeing as she had been struck speechless by the display of divine power. And it didn't even seem to take all that much from her companion. Hiirogane turned and smiled, noticing that her elvaan friend had watched the display. She bowed slightly before walking towards her. "Are you all right? You seem a bit shocked by something." The young elvaan cleric shook her head, a smile on her face. "I'm fine- what about you? Surely healing these men has put something of a burden on you- a drain of spirit, perhaps?" Hiirogane thought about it, then shook her head. "I didn't even feel the bite."

Pitié looked at the paladin in amazement, shaking her head slightly. "I can't... I can't compete with you. You handle your power so delicately, so gently, and yet it has so much presence and potency and sheer force. Nothing... nothing could have prepared me for..." She began shedding tears. Perhaps her place here was for naught after all. How could she help when the Hand of the Goddess was standing before her, and healed all those men without blinking? Not to mention the fighting- it took all of the cleric's iron will in order to stop herself from fainting from all the blood. She led her division well, but now the aftershock was getting to her. All that, and now this... she finally ran off to the ruined outpost, her body wracked with sobs.

Hiirogane looked puzzled- what was wrong? She wanted to follow, but did not know what to do when she got there. As she mulled over the situation, someone was watching her. She could feel Mesachedeau's presence just on the edge of her conciousness, watching somewhere. She didn't feel worried- if he were going to attack, she would be ready for him. But perhaps he was watching for a different reason. She honestly did not know, nor did she care. She firmed her resolve and walked towards the outpost.

Mesachedeau came out of hiding in the nearby tree line and silently asked Hiirogane while she was heading inside...

"So then Messenger, let's see if you can heal souls as well as you heal wounds. You can fight, you can work miracles. Both good. But do you actually care about our people, our race? Hn.. we shall see soon enough." He blended back into the shadows and waited in some part of the forest until morning. Things would work themselves out either way- he honestly hoped that it would turn out bad so he could go back home. He was tired of this already... and he had no reason to stay at all.

_No.. no reason at all. So why am I so tempted to tag along for this madcap mission? Unity of the races is impossible... even for a Goddess. And even if it were... why bother defending it when there is so much evil in this world? No... true justice can only be done when one rules all. But if I am wrong... prove it to me, Messenger. Show me a sign- a true sign. Maybe then, this idea will not seem so crude and unreasonable after all._

_To Be Continued..._

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_

**K.T.S.: **Well then, it's about time that we close this one down. Do review this chapter, if it do please ya. Take note that things will start getting interesting after the next chapter, which is an intermission of sorts. I won't name it "intermission" though. That would just suck. In any event, thanks for tuning in. Ah, and if you were wondering... the weapon skill used in the battle was Vorpal Thrust. An awesome move, and it was my logical explination of how such a thing was possible.

Lemme know how I'm doing, why don'tcha? Hit me up at my e-mail address and give me a heads-up on what could change and what's good about it. Reviews are always accepted, but feedback in another manner is nice too. As for the next chapter, it's my gift to those who have been reading along for so long. Just remember, the warnings that were posted in the first chapter apply to all chapters. As you've seen, I can be capable of some pretty intense stuff- you have been warned thusly for the second time. This is your last chance to stop reading.

_**Hasta la vista, Amigo Mio.**_


	7. Chronicle 7: Wake Me Up Inside

The outpost was pretty much in despair... but the fact was that no one really cared. They were all too tired. Save for another, who was not tired from battle. No, she was tired from all the tears that she had shed. She asked herself why she was here once again, and the message recorded in her head responded to watch over the safety of this expidition and be a guide to the Messenger, shouild she need such guidance. But so far, she seemed to be of little help. Her power and abilities paled in comparison to hers, and only through her own will alone was she able to fend off her share of the attackers. However... she was beginning to think that it was only beginning as she sat there in her now all-too-comfortable bed, breathing heavily and breaking out in a cold sweat from the nightmare that she had just woken up from.

The second one that night. And it seemed that prayer or meditation would not help. So she sat in her bed, and tried not to fall asleep a third time. _If this keeps up,_ she thought in a panic, _I fear I shall go insane! I must sleep, but I cannot because of these images- so many and all at once. And it seems so real- they are right there before me and I cannot run fast enough. Always the same... if she were here with me, I'd..._ the young elvaan cut her thought off there. _Don't think that way! You must be strong for everyone, or else you will never be of any use! The Goddess helps those who master their fear- so I must overcome! But... but how?_

She would try praying for an awnser... silently, she began to sort out her thoughts, closing her eyes against the darkness. _Dawn Maiden, Lady of the Light, I come to you asking for guidance. I fear I cannot go any further than this, and the journey has only begun. Your Hand has shown abilities far beyond my own- she is on another plane of existance. I had hoped that I would be of some use to her, even with advice, but I fear not even that will do. And now these nightmares- the battles are fierce; uncontainable and unmerciful. Many were injured, but by your hand of mercy, none had died. I should be happy; celebrating and rejoicing. And yet these horrible dreams... the blood, the screaming, the flash of a weapon... and then, they are upon me and I can't..._

She stopped to slow her breathing- she didn't notice that she was starting to panic, her prayer turning into a desperate outcry in her mind. As soon as her mind was calm again, she resumed. _I must find a remedy to this before I can continue any further. Give me a sign- some relief from this torture. Have mercy on me, for I cannot continue on like this. Your servant begs you in earnest to release me from these chains... so that I may walk in your light again. In all things, your will be done. What comes, I accept. Amen._

Had she been situationally aware, she would have noticed a very concerned paladin wearing a white cloak with blue and gold trim that hung to her ankles, looking at her with a quite worried gaze.

* * *

**Kanto The Slayer** presents... 

A _Final Fantasy XI _fan fiction

**_Chronicles of Vana'diel_**

**_

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_**

Same evening, Lower Jeuno.

She wasn't teaching him how to make blades yet, but she did make an attempt to teach him how to properly craft a bow and some arrows. Fortunately, the Auction House sold just about everything they needed, and it was no real surprise that it was open this late. Besides, it was a good time to walk about the town and see the sights. The lights were all aglow, even at this hour, but one could still see the stars if they were far enough out from the main portion of the city. But they weren't here to stargaze- they were here to get materials. It wasn't that hard, really... surprisingly, things had become quite affordable these days, due to the lack of conflict or resistance from the beastmen. In any event, she made an attempt to get him some decent wood to start out with, seeing as he knew the basics of woodworking, and how to properly string a bow. So then, as they walked back with plenty in hand and in their bags, she explained how it was going to work.

"That shortbow of yourrrs is not bad, but we're going to have to upgrrrade. Have you everrrr used a longbow before?" Kipo shook his head. "Shortbows are my specialty, taru. I'd love to get to know the other bow, but I can't really handle it that well." Juunikyuu nodded for a moment before speaking again. "Well in orrrder to learrn how to shoot one, you firrrst have to know how to make one. So that's what we're going to do all night, and prrrrobably most of the day tomorrrow- make longbows. Shouldn't be that harrrd by the time you're ready- and by the end of this month, you'll be good to go." Kipo's eyes widened. "A month, taru? B-but doesn't it take a shorter time?" Juunikyuu smiled and shrugged. "Everrryone's different, Kipo. I don't know how long you'll take to get it down pat. All I know is that it shouldn't take morrre than one month to learrrn how to make one bow and make it rrright. So that's what you'll do, murr. Got it?" Kipo pouted a bit, but nodded all the same.

As they got back with their mass of items, Juunikyuu had him going to work on a longbow- a Great Bow, to be exact. Most of the lumber was chestnut, while the string was a thin yet strong and durable Coeurl's whisker. A scorpion's claw was used for the mid section while a strip of velvet cloth was used as a grip surface for the lead hand. At least, that's what she told him the theory was. "Now, all you have to do is imagine all that put togetherrr. It's not harrrd once you think about it, murr. Understand?" Kipo nodded attentively. "Okay then, let's see what you can do. I got a lot of this stuff herrre, so it shouldn't take you all that long to make quite a few, even if you mess up. Get starrrrted." Kipo grinned and pulled a crystal out of the bag, setting all the items before him. A square cloth of velvet was neatly placed on top of the two blocks of chestnut, with the claw and the whisker on top of that. Everything was together... so he held the crystal in his hands and closed his eyes. Kipo began clearing his mind of the distractions, the only sound being the crackle of the fireplace. And even that faded...

An image of the bow he wanted to make was before his eyes. Only it was meant to be smaller, due to the fact that he was... well, small. He couldn't help but be small, he was born this way. In any case, the bow was to be one of the best ones ever made- good enough to sell, save for the fact that it was going to be his, and thus much cooler. Beauty and power all in one, with the right size for him- there! That was perfect! He smiled, despite himself. Unfortunately, he didn't hear the sound of the crystal splitting, ever so slowly as each thought filled his head. Juunikyuu however, did. She smirked as the crystal cracked, then split... then the two halves shattered altogether. The noise made Kipo open his eyes. "Wha? Everything's still there, taru! I had the image in my head perfectly!"

Juunikyuu shook her head and told him what was wrong. "I bet you did- and it was what you wanted it to be, not what it was supposed to be. Everrrything has a blueprint, and if you don't stick with that, your mind gets clouded. Herrre, watch this." She walked over to the bag, took another crystal from it, and went back over to her chair. From there- yes, from all the way across the room- she began to concentrate. The crystal responded almost immediately, and the flames in the fireplace flickered as the wind was guided towards the pile on the floor. From there, the materials were cut into by the air itself, the pieces rising upwards and visible traces of the leftovers were shredded to nothing. By the time twenty seconds had passed and the parts were screwed in, fitted, and wrapped, the bow seemed to string itself with the wind guiding the bow to bend while the coeurl whisker attatched itself.

The finished chestnut bow fell to the carpet with a soft thump.

Juunikyuu opened her eyes and nodded. "I've made so many arrows that I know how to carrrve wood as if it were a second nature. I'm sure your Da made you make a lot of bows and arrrows when you were a little kid, right?" Kipo nodded. "Yup yup, taru. He said the more I made them, the easier it'd be- though I only know how to make a shortbow, taru. This, though... this is pretty-witty, Juuni-kitty. Looks like a really-weally high quality! Fine grained, no flaws, tightly strung... not bad at all." Juunikyuu quirked an eyebrow in surprise. "You can apprrraise things like that?" Kipo nodded and smiled fondly. "Yup yup. My Da taught me what to look for, taru. This is fine work, it is." Juuni nodded and pointed to the bags of materials. "Enough; get to worrrk, you. By the time you're done, you'll be able to make one like that for yourrrself, murr." Kipo nodded, and got a second set of materials for the Great Bow...

* * *

Hiirogane walked over to Pitié, determined to find out why she was in a state of near-hysteria while praying. She could always tell when someone was praying- the room was a bit quieter, as if the place where the person knelt or stood had become a temporary sacred ground. When she finished, the heaviness in the air seemed to lift, and she silently walked over to her traveling companion, speaking only when she was a few feet away. The hood she wore made her look something like a priest, or a member of a religious sect. It was... fitting, especially for someone in her position. She spoke quietly, seeing as she didn't want to wake everyone else up; the elvaan cleric still heard it, though. 

"You can't sleep either, can you," she asked in a hushed tone. Pitié turned her head and nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, then gasped slightly as the presence before her suddenly registered. Hiirogane stood there, the moonlight shining on her cloak from an open window. The silken garment gave off an unearthly glow that was not her own, for once. The healer did not sense the presence of the Goddess within her either- she was a normal woman without her armor, shield, and sword. Though somewhere, Altana still listened and dwelled within the female hume before her, it was just them. Pitié felt a little better, and nodded again. "It's the nightmares. They keep coming to me, assaulting me in my sleep." Hiirogane thought that assaulting was a bit too descriptive of a word, but said nothing. "I heard you moaning in your sleep, but it didn't bother me- the bloody snoring did, though."

Pitié giggled for a bit, which made Hiirogane smile warmly. Sometimes, she forgot that the white mage was still a girl. A responsible and quite talented one, but a girl none-the-less. "Well not much wakes me up, thank the Goddess. These dreams, though..." Her cheery mood was stoppered. "I... I've never fought in a battle before. I should have told you that earlier. I was afraid- deathly so. But I just acted without thinking, and my fear just..." Hiirogane nodded and finished the sentence flawlessly, understanding what she was going through. "...Wasn't there. It happened in my first battle as well- I simply used my training, and remembered my lessons. But there is a thing about fear that makes it so important in a fight." Pitié's ears perked a bit, wanting to hear this revelation. Once Hiirogane had gotten her attention, she began reciting a lesson that her former capatain, Curilla, had taught to all her squires that year.

"Fear is an ever-present thing. Emotions cannot be changed, nor can they be easily stoppered. But there is something that happens when one is afraid... They become stronger. Faster. Sharper. When you are afraid, your senses will heighten and your body will respond in ways that one would not think possible. Use that strength, use those senses, and do not let fear stop you from attaining victory. Have faith in Altana to take care of your plight- all you need do is go forth and do what needs to be done." When Hiirogane was finished with that, she let the lecture sink in. After thinking about it, Pitié shook her head. "I felt none of that strength- it all happened so fast and everyone moved so quickly. I was even issuing commands that I didn't think I could. It felt strange... and yet, it felt good." Hiirogane nodded again, smiling as she did so. "That might be so... but think back to that Protectra spell. What did you feel before you started chanting?"

The young girl thought back... and identified the emotion that ran through her being. "I was afraid. Afraid of being speared by all those arrows. I was thinking about how much it would hurt, and how horrible the screams would be when the arrows pierced the chainmail. I didn't want it to happen, and my body and mind just reacted... and I started chanting, as if it were on a reaction!" She finally had it. "That was from me being afraid?" Hiirogane nodded solemnly, and Pitié's eyes widened in wonder. "So it's not that one doesn't feel fear- it is simply that they do not use it?" The paladin smiled brightly. "You got it. That is why most people do not fully realize their potential these days- fear paralyzes them when the true adversity takes hold. That paralysis is your body preparing to either run as fast as possible, or move forward into action. Remember that, all right?" The girl nodded and Hiirogane turned to leave. "W-wait!" She stopped and turned her head. "Something else?" Pitié nodded and bowed her head, somewhat ashamed at herself for being afraid of a simple thing as sleep.

"The nightmare... make it go away." Hiirogane turned around fully, a worried expression on her face. "I don't think I can... I might be able to heal wounds, but your mind is an area I won't touch. It is sacred ground, and I won't interfere." The girl nodded, and then said softly, "You don't have to. Just... make it go away. Stay with me until I sleep; tell me something about yourself; anything. Just make it leave me alone..." For the first time they had met, Pitié sounded like the scared little girl she truly was. They say that nightmares stop effecting those who are coming of age, as if there were less shadows; less dark closets and monsters under the bed. Unfortunately, nightmares can and do happen. And when they do, they strike harder and fiercer than anything that one experiences in their youth.

Hiirogane nodded in understanding before walking over to the bed and sitting next to the young elvaan, placing her right arm around the mage's waist. Pitié rested her head on Hiirogane's shoulder and closed her eyes, bathing in the simple comfort of the embrace. Her mind focused on nothing else but the knight's body, her warmth, her arm around her waist. For some odd reason, her smell, though faint, calmed her as well. Vanilla and Japanese honeysuckle, all rolled into one before being lifted gently into the air. The girl could not help but smile faintly, wondering where exactly that smell came from, or if it was just the woman herself. The fragrance, she realized as her mind faded away slowly, was her aura. Her charisma, so to speak. She radiated calm as if she were born with such a thing; it was why she was the leader of this journey. She said the next words without thinking, as if she were drunk on Hiirogane's light scent.

"I can't compete with you." Slightly confused, Hiirogane looked over at Pitié. "What do you mean? You did quite well in the battle; I've heard of your actions. If you're thinking about that-" The girl of seventeen shook her head. "It's not just that. It's everything. With all my training, all the good I've done, looking at you just makes it all look like a facade- a show that's put on for others. You are the real savior- loyal, unbiased, calm and collected. Faithful and true, like a knight should be. I have my likes and dislikes; my own faults. For example- I entirely dislike Mesachedeau's attitude towards people. He should grow up and stop being such a..." Pitié giggled slightly and continued. "Well, I wouldn't call him a man, due to the fact that he pouts and sulks when he isn't acting as if he is made of stone." Hiirogane nodded, and awnsered in her own quiet but laughter-specked voice. "Well, I wouldn't claim to know him personally, nor would I make an attempt to understand him. But yes, he does seem like a child when his walls are down."

The young cleric smiled solemnly and shook her head. "You see? Even that response was merciful. compared to mine. You are everything I want to be... not to mention beautiful." Hiirogane was puzzled again. "You don't think yourself attractive?" Pitié blushed and shook her head. Hiirogane looked surpried- genuinely so. "You must not have looked in a mirror. You look so delicate- like some kind of living doll. Expressive eyes that have a lovely shine to them when you smile, a beautiful face that any man would die for, a body that is already coming into its own-" She blushed again, but smiled. "Whoever told you this is lying outright. You are exceptional- my features look stark compared to yours." The young elvaan shook her head shyly, denying whatever Hiirogane said outright. "But you... you are not coming into your own, as you put it. You are already there!" She looked up at her companion, her eyes looking over everything. "The way your eyes slant downwards like that makes you look mysterious; very beautiful, brown eyes at that. And your face..." She lifted a hand to Hiirogane's face, and the older woman- older by two years, but still older- closed her eyes. "High cheekbones... soft skin... wonderfully delicate ears..." Pitié ran her fingertips across Hiirogane's ears, making her shiver slightly. She began to shiver again as the healer's soft fingers rubbed her earlobes, and moaned slightly. "My, that was interesting," the mage said as she pulled away. She continued her exploration of the female knight's face, her fingers running over the soft mouth. "Let's not forget these. So soft..."

Something came over her at that point that she could not explain. She wanted to know how they felt against her own- just to try it. It wouldn't hurt anyone, and she would have the curiousity sated. But she didn't want to have it happen unexpectedly, so she shook Hiirogane's shoulder lightly. As the woman opened her eyes lazily, she found another pair of brown eyes staring right back into hers. As the female knight became entranced and drawn in, a distant part of her mind noticed what was happenning, and surmised it in a logical way. _The nightmares will be gone. She will be at peace; and besides, this is the only way it could have gone. It is fate- perhaps even the will of the Goddess that this happen._ Hiirogane allowed the white mage to advance further before closing her eyes, wishing to not see- but feel the warm embrace that was coming.

"I..." The embrace never came. "I can't. This is too much to ask for. I simply can't do this... forgive me for allowing my imagination to run away with me. I just wanted..." Hiirogane once again finished her sentence as the young woman trailed off. "...To see what it was like, I know. Remember what I said about fear?" Pitié nodded, her face still two inches from the paladin's. "Are you afraid?" She nodded again. "I can probably guess what you're afraid of. It's either the Goddess within me, or how I will react to you giving me a kiss, just between friends and for comfort." She opened her eyes, mildly shocked. "Don't be surprised- don't even be alarmed. Just do what you feel you have to."

Without warning or hesitation, Pitié closed the distance and locked lips. Her mind reveled in the knowledge that she was being given. _She's just as soft as I thought she would be- but more! And she tastes so sweet; I don't know why, but she just does! Oh, Goddess... _Hiirogane was just about pounced upon as the healer moved forward, and chuckled into the kiss before beginning to drink of her friend's lips as if she were something sweet. A bit confused, but eager to learn, Pitié followed suit, her hands shaking as they encircled Hiirogane's waist and back.

The only thing that ran through the back of Hiirogane's mind, other than how truly like honey and sugar and a piece of Paradise this girl truly was... was the fact that by the time this was over, the nightmares would be gone and she would be able to move on. Then, everything was scattered to the winds as she pulled the girl the rest of the way onto the bed, holding her tight as they kissed with increasing passion.

_Goddess, yes..._

The thought, and the sentiment, was mutual.

* * *

By the time they were both asleep, Kipo had finished about seven longbows- stringed, wrapped, and ready to use. Two of those were of excellent quality, and could probably outlast the other five- as Kipo's own trained eyes observed. This was easier than he thought. Still, Juunikyuu said that he had a long way to go before he got one of excellent craftsmanship time and time again, and Kipo did nothing but nod, eager to learn for the first time in ten years. It was not even a week, and he had his defenses successfully pierced, penetrated, and otherwise torn down. He ended up being a bright and observant boy, with plenty of respect for Juunikyuu and love for his father, which only combined with pride at him possibly being a Tenshodo contact. 

Still... it was odd that this had happened in only a few days. This sort of thing should have happened over months and months- perhaps one was exactly what the other was looking for. Kipo-Maripo was looking for a positive influence- a guide of sorts. He might not have admitted it, but he was. Thus, he went looking for his father on his own. Which is how he got into trouble. Juunikyuu was looking for something to do, not to mention someone to protect. She was basicly classed as a ronin- a wanderer who wielded the katana. But now she had someone to not only protect, but to instruct and to care about. Niether of them thought about this too clearly- perhaps that was a good thing. If they did, they would become apprehensive and lose the moments they made. Thus, everything went as it should.

As they slept, Kipo snuggled into Juunikyuu's body, his head resting just below her breasts. The mithra simply held him close, liking the closeness for some reason. Mind you, the age gap was huge- she wouldn't have a thing for him. But she would protect him, that was for sure. The little guy was smart and a quick learner, but he did not need to become the battle-hardened warrior just yet. He would become a young man soon, and this was the time that determined what kind of man he would become. If he were so hardened and focused at a young age, his adulthood would be much worse off. She decided as she slept that she would teach him how to open and close his heart at will, so as not to become distrustful to everyone he met. It would be a disagreeable time for him if he kept on as he had before reaching Jeuno.

_I've gotta be his guide now- he has no motherrr, and his fatherrr's on important business, murr. I'm his only lifeline now until those two are rrreunited- so I'm going to do my best! I have to... because this kid's in trrrrouble if I don't do something. _She hardened her resolve as she went deeper into her slumber. Kipo however, slept with only one word on his lips... the word that he had wanted to say for so long, but had not been able to, ever since her death.

"Momma," he muttered into the stillness. Juunikyuu's ears perked at the word, but she did not wake up. "Momma... where are you... I don't even know your face, but I wanna see you, taru..." A tear fell from his right eye. He must have been dreaming, because he didn't notice. Juunikyuu however, did. She woke up, her eyes lazily opening. She looked down at the young taru, his eyes brimming over with tears. "M-momma.. are you in Heaven? Will I find you in the starsies, taru? I wish I could go where you are..." Juunikyuu stroked her young charge's hair gently, thinking of nothing else that could soothe him. His vision began breaking apart with each stroke, his voice becoming more and more of a whisper with each touch. Soon, he was asleep again. The mithra smiled faintly as she heard his breathing slow down; felt his body relax again as he went into slumber.

_I won't let anyone harm you, Kipo! I'll make sure you get back to yourrr Da again_.

With that, she went back to sleep as well.

* * *

After a good minute, they broke the kiss with breathing slightly labored and eyes glazed over. They looked at each other with surprise and a bit of hunger. That actually felt good. The kiss... the embrace... the mere physical contact. It felt so good as their hands roamed against each other's bodies... Pitié's hands were still shaking, but not from nerves. She wanted to touch her again. She clenched them into fists and slowed her breathing before she spoke. "W-well... that was an interesting experience. I... I think I can sleep now." Hiirogane nodded slowly, still trying to gain mastery over herself. But the sheer power of the warm embrace had gotten into her. She had done it for simple comfort; it was to help her friend. 

_So why, _she thought to herself, _can I not regain my footing? It can't be that good, can it? There must be something... _Pitié figured that something was wrong, due to the fact that Hiirogane didn't move from the bed right away. However, the feelings that thrilled and confused her still ran rampant, though it seemed like she was all right on the surface. She had successfully hidden her emitions, but wouldn't be able to do so for long, with Hiirogane in such close proximity. Perhaps it was something in the air that evening, or maybe it was the lack of a true connection, seeing as the young elvaan felt inferior to the much older Messenger. Still... the truth was that it was, in both a broad and a small way, the work of the Goddess. Hiirogane, when she chose to be the Hand of the Goddess, did not truly realize what she was about to undergo, not to mention the effects.

They say that life clings to life. Within Hiirogane was not only the power of light or the spirit- it was the sheer power of creation itself. And this was an entirely powerful thing, especially for someone so spiritually attuned as Pitié. But it was a double-edged blade... Hiirogane was strongly attuned to the recipient of her intimate touch as well, and it usually took her less time to recover than the one whom she gave the comfort to. Her friend's scent became intoxicating; her body far too inviting. The sheer tide of power and passion was being held back by a thin wall of iron will... and if something broke that, Altana help the target of such attentions. When the cleric finally realized what was wrong though, she did not think it a bad thing. "Oh, I see... so that's it." She smiled warmly and tilted her head slightly to the side. "You have a hard time restraining yourself... and you tried so hard to make me feel better, too. That's noble of you."

Hiirogane nodded and cleared her throat, her nervous side coming through. She needed to get out of here, now, before something bad or embarrassing happened. "W-well, thank you. I..." She cleared her throat again, trying to master this intense longing to... to do anything to get rid of this need! But she couldn't... her mind nagged at her that this was wrong. She had to listen to reason; she was nothing more than the enemy they were trying to defeat if she did not listen to her own concience. "I um, have to go back to sleep now. H-have a good sleep, Pitié..." She got up from the bed on unsteady legs, walking back through the entryway. She heard rustling on the bed and thought that she was going back to sleep. Letting out a sigh of relief, she continued walking...

"Yes... I'll have a good sleep. Right after you come over here and finish with me." Hiirogane turned, and her breath caught in her throat. sitting on the bed, now without her robe, was a naked and blushing Pitié, smiling despite her embarrassment at someone watching her when she was at her most vulnerable. Her cinnamon-tanned skin was kissed by the moonlight, giving her a faint, yet distinguishable aura that made her seem ethereal. Her red hair was no longer in those twin ponytails, but was now unbound and hanging down to the base of her neck, just where the shoulders began. The robe pooled at her knees, and she reminded herself to get it somewhere that she could remember the location of later. Her blush only made her more beautiful as she smiled sweetly. Her curvaceous body called to something deep within Hiirogane, and she felt her resistance slipping.

"W... wait a minute. Don't you know how wrong this is? How just plain... indecent? You're a cleric- a servant of Altana! How could you..." Pitié silenced her with another statement- one that was well-said in the cathedral. "If one is going to serve the Dawn Maiden, one must be willing to give their all: their hearts, their minds- even their own bodies. If one truly serves the will of Altana, then they must be prepared to lay down even their own lives for one in need." The female knight could say nothing to this, only close her mouth once she found that it was hanging open. Her eyes showed an open, almost painful hunger. A need to caress and to touch, a need to feel the warmth of another. "Right now... you are in need. And you tried so hard to make those horrible nightmares go away... how rude and inconsiderate of me then, not to return the favor."

Cautiously, as if facing something that could very well bite her arm off, she approached the bed- that warm, inviting bed- and the young, attractive elvaan that was sitting upon it. "You are sure?" She asked with a whisper. "Once this is done... well, I don't know what will happen once it is done, but..." The young cleric shook her head and smiled again. "I do. The dreams will be gone- the ghosts chased from my mind. You will heal me; I might even say you might save me. Please- come and take me. I'm sure the Goddess will understand our hearts- our intentions. Now, come." A force beyond recognition came over her as she slowly moved forward to the white mage, her steps measured and sure again. "Wait!" She stopped dead, as if she were obeying some command from her captain again. "Take that cloak off... it's not all that fair or fun that I'm the only one naked here."

Hiirogane supposed that logic was acceptable, so she started undoing the ties around her waist, allowing the cord of cloth to simply fall to the floor before simply lifting the cloak over her head and having it drop to the floor as well. Underneath that were her undergarments, which judging by the area she lived in, were mostly lace and velvet. A black color for both the bra and the panties, which wasn't a surprise, really. "Well, that's a start. Let's see the rest of it, then..." Hiirogane shook her head. "I gave something- now you have to give. You get to take these off yourself," she said with a playful grin. Perhaps it was because she had stopped caring, but she was now a lot more comfortable with this idea. Pitié shrugged and smiled, eager to get this finished. Her need had been rising slowly, and when her friend took off her cloak, it spiked a few levels. "If I must. Just come over here already! I'm sure you're tired of waiting."

Hiirogane nodded and lay herself on the bed, stretching out lazily. _Hell with it... I might as well go along with this! _"Sooo... what are you going to do first?" The mage thought for a moment, placing her right hand on her chin while the left lazily stroked the sensitive skin of her friend's stomach. The knight lazily closed her eyes and smiled, sighing contently. "Well, I figured we'd start with another kiss- you know, just to start off on the right foot and all. After all, one has to start somewhere." Hiirogane nodded and smiled at the recent memory of the first kiss. "I'd like that. I'd actually like that very much." Without another second wasted, the young woman draped herself over Hiirogane's body, laying on top and just to the right as they kissed tenderly, and this time without restraint.

The passion and heat of the first kiss was not present- but it didn't need to be. A gentle, pleasant heat spread through them both as their lips made contact and their tongues danced against each other. Their hands, eager for the contact of soft, silken skin, began to roam over each other's bodies. Fingertips lazily brushed against hips and thighs as the kiss grew deeper and more involved, making both women shiver pleasantly at the feather-light touch. As Hiirogane reached up to slide her palms along the healer's back, Pitié reached behind Hiirogane, looking for the clasp that held her bounty in place. Once she found it and unfastened it, the bra was placed carefully over the edge of the bed, joining the other clothes on the floor. With that, the girl ran her hands over the exposed breasts, her fingertips sliding over the sensitive skin, making Hiirogane moan softly. She playfully buried her head between them, taking a deep breath when she was trapped there. Her scent, now powerful enough to knock someone senseless, made her drunk in a way.

Goddess, that's so nice. She breathed in again, deeper this time, as if she couldn't get enough. Hiirogane giggled a bit, making her body shake slightly. "Sorry, tickles." Pitié said nothing in response to that, but simply commented "You smell so nice... I would stay here like this forever.. if we had more time. Since we do not..." The young cleric hesitantly licked the skin between the female knight's breasts, making her moan again. The elvaan smiled and licked again, this time longer and using more of her tongue, as if the woman were an ice cream cone. A Honeysuckle-scented, honey-sweetened vanilla ice cream cone. A longer, deeper moan that bordered on a purr came forth. "That's so nice, Pitié... do that again." The young woman nodded and licked again, her tongue moving from side to side as she licked upwards, making the woman underneath her shiver and moan as a wave of pleasure washed over her.

The tongue went upwards again, but moved to the left in order to trail up the side of one of Hiirogane's breasts, making her gasp for air at the contact. Pitié swirled her tongue in circles around the areola, making her inhale sharply again as the pleasure doubled upon itself. "Oh Goddess, yes... like that. Mmmm..." Now, she wondered what would happen if she went further, but the time was past for wondering. She knew this, and yet wondered anyway. As she pondered her next movement, Hiirogane's nipple was erect and hard, the pleasure and sheer heat making her breasts swell. "Nnn... don't stop for anything. You're really... oh!... good at this..." Pitié simply hummed her thanks as her mouth closed on the sensitive nipple. Hiirogane gasped again as another shockwave of sensation passed through her. The young priestess gently drew at the breast, cupping one hand around the underside to hold it stead while the other was busy with the unattended side. The combination of the gentle touches and the insistant, determined lips at the nipple quickly sent the knight's senses reeling.

"Altana preserve me... Gods, that feels so good!" Hiirogane's cries became louder as her part-time lover and young friend continued her atttentions, switching to the opposite breast to give it similar care and detail. Her gasps and moans did not rouse a single soul... and perhaps that was Altana watching over them for this one night. "Y... yes! Gods, yes..." Silently, lips and tongue and even teeth moved their way down the knight's stomach, turning what should have only tickled into something far more exciting and breathtaking. She moved as if she were going to devour her whole, taking her time in reaching the most heated and intimate of places on Hiirogane's body.As she pulled the lace and velvet panties down, she noticed that the knight's fragrance was strong here- it was enough to almost make her pass out. And if she did, she would be one very happy comatose elvaan.

"So sweet... the fragrance alone is almost too much!" Looking up from her prone position, the young messenger for the Goddess became impatient. "That's nice and all, but I require attention... finish me Pitié, finish me!" The young mage giggled as if she had been tickled or touched in a quite nice place by the words alone. "Aren't we demanding? Well, who am I to refuse such a passionate request?" With the smells of honeysuckle and vanilla surrounding her- and blocking out just about everything else- she gently slid her tongue into the folds of the flower. That single touch in the most sensitive of places made Hiiroagne arch her back slightly, uttering the girl's name in a somewhat breathless voice.

And with that, Pitié went for the final movement- the one that would surely give her the results of this time together. She began licking slowly and lazily, as if she were a cat with cream.At times, she thrust her tongue into Hiirogane, making the woman cry out in boundless pleasure and lift her back off of the bed in a graceful arch. Somehow, the power she had over the Messenger... the sheer control and ability to sway; to bend; to make her voice raise and lower in pitch like the most wonderful instrument in the hands of a master... it turned her on immensely. She began to move faster, lick harder, nibble and suck at the folds. _Enough of the smell, _she thought feverishly._ I want to taste you!_

Meanwhile, Hiirogane's cries of joy reached fever pitch. Breathlessly and wordlessly, she cried out time and time again, her breath coming sharply and her breasts gyrating as if in a passionate dance. And without warning, she felt her entire body draw tight, as if it were a bowstring. It was coming... she was coming! The release... she would have it... just a little more... "Goddess, yes..." A little more... "Yes, yes, yesyesyesyes**YEEEEEEEES**!" She made an attempt to wrap her legs around Pitié's head, simply to keep her trapped there. The sheer and utter power that coursed through her had a side effect... the moonlight that shone on her was amplified until she shone like the gems that hung in the sky above them. However, despite the newfound power that she had discovered, the young healer held her own. Elvaan were characterized by their sheer and utter strength, despite their thin frames. And the woman had been training in the arts of the staff by the cathedral monks, who happened to know the way of the rod; the staff; the fist. It is these same monks who trained Hiirogane... but that tale is for another day.

Right now, Hiirogane was reveling in the overwhelming pleasure of her orgasm, and was bathing the inside of her young friend's mouth with her essence as her body trembled. The tongue was still moving, still writhing, not stopping until every drop of dew was gathered and rolled around her mouth. _She tastes good down there as well. I love it._ As the last trembles and quivers of her body faded away, Hiirogane almost floated back to the bed, her soul seeming to soar through the night skies on the afterglow. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was in the widest grin she had ever worn. _Altana has blessed me- no, us- this night. That was... it was amazing. _It took her a full two minutes before she calmed down... but when she had and could sit herself up again, she heard moaning. She looked towards Pitié, who was busy trying to bring herself to completion, the first three fingers of one hand buried in her sex while the other, free hand was teasing her breasts.

"Do you see... mmmm... do you see what you have done to me? You'd better do something about it!" Hiirogane chuckled softly and crawled over to her young friend- now turned into her lover for at least tonight. "Don't mind if I do."

With that, and another kiss that tasted of honey and vanilla, the cycle began again.

_Goddess help me,_ they thought in tandem. This was going to be a busy evening...

_To Be Continued..._

* * *

**K.T.S.:** Yes... who'd have thought I would be capable of doing this? Then again, most readers who have read my stories know by now that I am fully capable of doing this. For those that didn't know... well now you know. In any event, the journey begins for all parties involved in the next installment, as the two seperate parties meet in Jeuno for the first time. Richard, the Iron Musketeer, joins Hiirogane's party, while a wandering bard and hapless black mage join Juunikyuu's squad. When it's all over... well, nothing will ever be the same again! 

Until then, please review this story. Do take the time to put the comments in, be they positive or negative. Do not- I repeat, DO NOT flame me. I've been writing for a while now- I will not take childish behavior. If you don't like it, perhaps you should read something else. Forgive me for sounding harsh, but this is the best deterrent for those who don't get the point earlier. If you're going to criticise, please make it something I can use, and be nice about it.

_**Domo Arigatou. Sayonara, minna-san!**_


	8. Chronicle 8: Awakening

Dawn broke. The golden eye in the heavens peered through the trees, shining down on the building that housed members of the Iron Musketeers, the finest soldiers in all of Bastok. For the moment, they still had command over Jugner Forest and its resources, which troubled the Elvaan of San d'Oria to no end. Still, they were being overwhelmed by their sheer lack of numbers in the Royal Knights, seeing as most of them were located within the capital.

Two of those Elvaan were not in the capital at the moment, but sleeping inside of the outpost. One of them was strikingly tall – six feet, two inches of nothing but pure muscle. His silver hair and blue eyes would have been a testament to the condition and nature of his inner being, cold and desolate. He was a man that did not believe in miracles, only actions and results.

And yet, he had seen miracles happen. He still could not bring himself to believe them, however. Perhaps it was because that they had not come from a member of his own race, but he would not allow himself to say such a thing.

The other Elvaan however, one who was much shorter and had short auburn hair, begged to differ. She saw signs and wonders, had visions in her sleep. Indeed, she had seen the Messenger's coming long beforehand, although it was simply a being of pure light. She could not tell which race it was, but she knew that the Hand of Altana was about to make their appearance. She had told no one for fear that such an instrument of justice would be used by the wrong hands.

Now, she saw her… and believed everything.

This morning, she was still in bed with her, quietly sleeping. The heated, almost impromptu events of the previous evening had left her happily drained, snuggled up next to said Messenger. It had been her first battle, and the recurring nightmares she had endured from it caused her to do something rather… rash.

She was not a rash woman and usually had more restraint, but that night, she was drawn to the other woman as if there were something magnetic about her aura. It was difficult to explain to anyone who was not well-versed in the arts of the cleric.

But all bliss must end sometime, and the Elvaan known as Pitié opened her eyes for the first time that morning. Her mind was in a blissful haze as it slowly attempted to piece itself back together. _Good dream,_ she mused to herself. _That was a very good dream indeed._ _But I wonder why…?_

The question of why she was so warm was quickly answered as she finally fixed her eyes on the woman whose embrace she was sleeping in. Her eyes widened, her heart raced, and a blush appeared to darken her cheeks. Memories came flooding back all at once, and as soon as they did, a decision was made.

"**AAAAAAAAH!!**"

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _Final Fantasy XI_ Fanfiction

_**Chronicles of Vana'diel**_

* * *

Hiirogane's eyes snapped open as the cry of shock and alarm echoed throughout her room, the door of which was closed. She considered herself lucky that she had placed a seal on the wooden barrier earlier; it filtered the noise out successfully. Still, her ears rang as if there were bells in her head, and there was no cure for a close-range shout.

"Well good morning to you too, Pitié," she said wryly. "I have to say, that's an interesting way to wake someone up." She looked over towards her and noticed the blush. "Is there something wrong?"

She could barely make out her sentences. "Y-you, m-me, we did… did…" The blush deepened and she hid her face behind her hands. "We did _that_!"

Hiirogane raised an eyebrow and said, "Yes, we did. And you were very, very soft." She smiled and said, "I can understand why you're acting like this. But believe me; you won't have any nightmares like that again. I will protect you from them."

Pitié peeked out from her impromptu barrier and said, "So you call that protecting?" She immediately reproached herself – it was as much her decision as it was the paladin's. "Goddess, forgive me for my speech. But this is so awkward… is it supposed to be like this after all that?"

The Messenger chuckled and said, "Sometimes it is. It doesn't have to be, though." She placed a hand in that silken red hair and said, "We don't have to do it again. And I promise that I'll keep this a secret. Consider the night before locked within my memories for all time."

The cleric shook her head and uncovered her face. "How can you be so calm about this? We just performed an act of… _considerable_ debauchery, and yet you can still remain as you are? It's impossible for me to believe that you are not pricked by this."

Hiirogane shrugged and said, "I believed that it was the will of Altana in the first place that drew us to each other. You needed someone, I came to help. To me, it is that simple. Besides," she said with that same, all encompassing smile, "I'm not the one for you. I've seen it. Sadly, I can't tell you who you are destined for, but I can say that you'll know when you find him."

Pitié blushed again and said softly, "You really _are_ an angel born on earth. I would not have come to that conclusion." She looked towards her and said, "We are still friends, then?"

The paladin nodded and said, "Always. Even after we are finished walking along the same road, I will always remember you and consider you a friend. Race doesn't matter; the bonds that are formed between the races are more important. Don't you think so?"

The Elvaan smiled and said, "You're right. Thank you for comforting me last night. I think I'm ready to move on."

Her friend smiled in response. "So am I. Let's go get some breakfast."

* * *

As soon as they had gotten off of their chocobos the other day, the poor things had run off, scared by the atmosphere of malevolence around them. Mesachedeau was certainly not envious of them. Were he a base animal with instincts to either fight or flee, he would have run as well from sheer alarm. But never mind that. They had no rides, and probably had to walk the rest of the way through the treant and Orc-infested forests.

'Fine with me,' he thought with an almost cold satisfaction. 'If it keeps my blade sharp, so be it.'

He heard the doors to the outpost opening, and noticed that both Pitié and Hiirogane were fully clothed and fully loaded. The cleric looked better than she had the night before, when she was healing the soldiers, and the paladin looked entirely untouched, her white armor shining in the morning sunlight. They were all smiles, despite having been through a trying time, and seemed to be talking amicably amongst each other.

'So then, you have aided her after all. And she has taken a shine to you.'

For a brief moment, their eyes caught each other, and thought he was not one to speak to her just yet, Mesachedeau nodded in approval. For now, she had his trust, until things turned sour. Then she was on her own, and he would be taking Pitié with him.

Hiirogane smiled towards him and said, "Good morning. The Goddess appears to have blessed us with a clear sky; we should have little trouble crossing the Batallia Downs today. They're a downright pain when it's raining."

He turned away from her, not one for simple conversation. As long as he did not speak to her, he could bear this journey for just a little longer. He was simply here to observe events; that was all. Should they fight an enemy, he would follow her orders, though reluctantly. That alone, however, did not give him just cause to speak casually to this Hume who believed she could save the world.

'Tch… it's not even possible to save this world. No one _wants_ to be saved.'

Hiirogane raised an eyebrow, sensing something amiss, but decided not to press. His mind was his own, and if he wanted to speak it, he would later. "Do you have everything, Pitié?"

The Elvaan nodded and said brightly, "Yes, I do. It's too bad that we've lost the chocobos, but I figure that we can get some more when we arrive in Jeuno. It is going to take quite a while, though… but I have faith that we will endure the march."

The Messenger smiled and said, "That's the spirit."

Just then, Captain Richard emerged as well, with a few of his men behind him, rifles and blades at the ready, just in case something else popped out at them. "Ah, there you are. Don't tell me you were thinking of leaving without saying goodbye, hmm?"

Hiirogane looked behind her right shoulder and was about to respond when she noticed that he was carrying… a few things extra. She raised an eyebrow and said, "It appears that we are not the only ones saying goodbye, Captain."

He smirked and said, "So it does. I've already informed the men of my decision in a private conference. At the moment, a message is heading towards Bastok with the results of that meeting, and hopefully the change of leadership here at this outpost will be reflected sooner rather than later. I would not like my superiors to be too angry at me for joining you all."

She turned around fully to face him, as did Pitié. Mesachedeau was pretending not to listen, but one could almost see his ears twitching. "I'm not sure I can let you join us in good conscience. These men need you. You're the best leader they have, perhaps the only leader they have. If you leave now, they will be in discord. That's never good for a force such as yours."

He looked behind him at the men standing guard and said, "What, those meatheads back there?" He laughed and said, "They'll be fine. I have someone in charge who I've trained personally. He won't let this place fall to the enemy… that is, the Orcs. So long as the light shines, you all are no enemy of mine. Matter of fact, you're the most interesting bunch of characters I've ever met."

Richard looked around at the forests and said, "I'm not entirely happy with these surroundings. I've been here for almost a year now, and to be honest it's been entirely uninteresting. The Orc raiders attack, we send them off until the next time, repair, regroup, and repeat. It's getting dull, all this fighting without moving anywhere."

She shrugged and said, "One must do what one must. But… if it is truly your wish, and if the Goddess wills it, you are welcome to join us on our journey."

He smiled and said, "I certainly hope she won't mind one more on the road. Besides… you'll need my aim. And I'd like to fight this one," he said as he pointed towards Mesachedeau, "Just once, for sport. He's a man with good instincts."

Mesachedeau did not comment, simply looked towards the road ahead.

"A bit of a silent player though, isn't he?"

Pitié smiled and said, "We're working on that." She bowed towards Richard and said, "May the Goddess watch over you as you travel with us. I am certain you will be a great help."

The Iron Musketeer folded his arms across his chest and said, "So then, where exactly are we going?"

Hiirogane turned towards the direction in which Mesachedeau was looking and said, "To Jeuno. I have a message I must deliver."

With that, she began striding forward, Pitié on her heels. Immediately once she passed him, Mesachedeau followed behind his fellow Elvaan, and Richard took up the rear. But of course, once he was finally caught up, the Royal Knight said something in a voice akin to gravel without looking behind him even once.

"Hume… do not get in my way. I am not here for her, or you. I am here for my country and my people, nothing more."

Robert smirked and said, "Oh trust me, you're the last man I want to irritate. I'll steer clear of you."

The four were on their way, and Hiirogane knew perfectly well that they would not have an easy time crossing the Downs, much less the rest of Jugner Forest itself. There were worse things than tigers and Orcs in this place… The only real weapon she had was her faith.

She would simply have to believe that it was enough.

* * *

"Please help me rent a room! Anything will do; a small measure will go a long way!"

Behold, a female Hume. Age sixteen, born in Windurst, with light brown hair and jade green eyes. She stands at four feet, six inches and weighs less than one hundred pounds; ninety five, to be exact. And at the moment, she is practicing the fine art of collecting donations. Most civilized, well-mannered people would call it that, but for the rest of us, it was begging.

"Please help, sir? Even a single Gil will lead me closer to a bed. No? Well have a good day."

It had been the result time and time, over and over again, as she stood in the streets of Lower Jeuno, trying to get herself somewhere to stay. The girl had been doing this for all of three days, and so far she had all of thirty five Gil. It would take at least one hundred to stay a single night at the nearby inn. These days, rent-a-rooms were in high demand, and though they were free of charge, needed to have reservations in advance. Inns were the next best thing once they were full.

'They may not be as comfortable, but I don't have a choice,' she thought desperately. With the alternative of sleeping in the streets and possibly being carried away by the Ducal Guard patrols, she had to do her best or be forced to either reside in a cell or be removed from Jeuno.

Her mage robes were a series of cloth pieces made of red moko grass, from the hat to the soft boots. At the moment, they were dirty and somewhat worn, needing to be replaced soon before they became entirely useless. Once, they were brilliant, brighter in color and better in quality. Along with the wand made of mana willow lumber that she had sheathed at her right hip, they both appeared to have seen better days.

One may ask how a Black Mage, someone with incredible talents and powers at their disposal, ended up in this situation. The truth lies somewhere in the past, as all truths do, and thus we turn back the clock and find out how exactly this came to be.

To start, the girl's name is Elisabeth. Her parents and classmates used to call her Lizzie, and made fun of her nickname because it sounded like… well, a rock lizard, for better or worse. All this teasing and bullying was more than likely not good for a girl like her, but she was not exactly proficient in playing any tricks in response.

The reason was rather simple; she was a bookish girl, bright and eager to learn everything she could about the ways of magic. And while she breezed through her classes with an almost uncanny ease, when it came down to actually performing the magic itself… she was not entirely that skilled. Whenever she tried to cast a spell, it either blew up in her face (sometimes literally) or went spiraling madly out of her control.

This led to a particular incident three years ago in which the tricky Tarutaru that were in her class decided to play a trick on poor, poor Lizzie. They said that there was a wealth of information that she could obtain that would help her with her magic somewhere in the school. Eager to gain some sort of command over her raging energies, and thankful that someone would actually help her, she headed towards the place described on a (poorly drawn) map.

The good news was that she had an uncanny sense of direction, and got there in short order. But when she attempted a minor fire spell to shed some light on the situation, the usual happened. This is where the bad part comes in – the map had led her to the fireworks storage.

Not but three days later, she was given a chocobo, all of her books, her robes and wand, and told never to come back to Windurst again. Naturally, her parents attempted to intervene, but the council had stated that it was final as a decision. Of course, they gave her what money they could spare, but it wasn't much, and soon she had spent it all on attempting to keep herself off the streets of Jeuno.

For a time, she was content with her lot. She had no one to bully or bother her, no one to complain to her about anything, just her and her books. The only problem she could see, and she was a realist for such a young girl, was that she still had no idea how to control her energies. Certainly there had to be something in those books, but there was nothing but theory on casting spells and the proper execution of such things.

She read them anyway, to brush up, but for the moment she did not cast any magic. This lack of experience would be the reason why she was out on the streets, because she soon picked up a job offer that required her… special talents.

She ended up burning a priceless tapestry in the house that she was employed in, and almost the rest of the place, too. Naturally, this caught the ire of the Ducal Guard, as well as a reputation for being good for nothing and clumsy. Word spread fast in a place like Jeuno, and people began avoiding her like the plague, for fear of catching her bad luck.

So now here she was, with no money, no work, no way to control herself, and standing on the street in the early morning, waiting for some random stranger to help her.

Lizzie put on a brave smile as someone began walking towards her. "Hello! I'm trying to find myself a bed to sleep in for the night," she called out as the figure began walking towards her. "I would like it very much if you could help; anything at all would be appreciated."

The figure stopped. Lizzie looked up and saw a pair of blue eyes looking back at her inquisitively. The ears and nose marked her as unique, and the tail gave the impression in her mind of a cat. She knew what this was; a Mithra. But where were the markings? And why did she wear such a funny (and yet strikingly beautiful) dress?

"You look like you're in trrrouble," she said with a concerned tone in her voice. Oh, she even had the accent.

"She's brokie-wokie," a much higher-pitched voice spoke from behind her. Lizzie looked down and saw a young Tarutaru peeking out from behind the legs of the Mithra. "I can tell what brokie-wokie looks like, 'cause I used to look like it too."

The Mithra rolled her eyes and said, "Be quiet, Kipo, and start heading back to the room." He began scampering off, and she noticed several pieces of lumber in his possession, with a bow on his back and a quiver of arrows hanging from his right hip.

She smiled towards him and said, "Cute."

She felt a hand on her hair and looked back up at the Mithra. "So are you." Her brown hair was ruffled for a moment, and then she said, "Take care of yourrrrself."

Lizzie wondered who those two were, but decided that it did not matter. She had to go back to 'work'. She just hoped that the kind Mithra had given her… something…

"…What? How did she...?"

Five thousand Gil filled her chapeau.

She looked back up, and the Mithra was lost in the crowd. "I didn't even get to thank her," she said softly. Perhaps the lady didn't want to stick around for thanks.

Questions filled her head. Who was she, why had she done such a selfless thing? Was it pity, or out of genuine concern? Who was the Tarutaru that was with her, and how did he get such an intricate bow, much less something to carry it in? Did he make that himself, or did someone happen to give it to him?

The complex wheels in her head began to turn, and without conscious thought, she walked in the direction that the Mithra had taken. So many questions and one had the answers. The thing about Elisabeth was that once she focused her considerable will on something, she would not stop until she got to the bottom of it, the very heart.

Oh, but first she had to find her. And in a city like this, that was difficult to do. But she wouldn't ask anyone, she couldn't. How would people recognize one Mithra out of a dozen of them in the same city? How would one be able to tell if she had markings or not? So far, only she knew her specific characteristics. Who could she possibly…?

"You look lost, miss."

She gasped as she was suddenly called out to from the stairs that led to the other parts of the Duchy. Turning towards the direction of the voice, she saw a man standing near the rent-a-rooms. He had a calm, easy look on his face; one that made her let down her guard almost immediately.

Elisabeth sighed in relief and said, "Please don't scare me like that."

The man with dark brown hair was much taller than she was, but had the kindest eyes. They were a gray-blue and had an almost distant look to them. "It's all right. I surprise a lot of people like that sometimes." He pushed off of the wall and said, "So what or who were you looking for? I might know where they are. Gimme a description; let me see if I can piece it together."

She blinked in confusion and said, "You could tell that I was looking for someone?"

He smiled and said, "Yeah. The way you were looking around in every corner like that, I suppose it would have been obvious if one were really paying attention." He shook his head and continued with, "But I bet you're wondering who I am. Name's Mithania. I'm a wandering troubadour."

Her eyes brightened and said, "A _bard_? I've never seen one before! Do you have any kind of instrument?" She peered around him, looking for his harp or flute, or anything of the sort. He chuckled and said, "Yeah, but it's in my room. Besides, I like using my voice a lot better. Most of the time, I just carry my rapier with me… you can't tell when some highwayman is going to try and take all you've got, now can you?"

And indeed, she could see it on his left hip, waiting to be used. She grinned and said, "So do you know who this Mithra is? She's got no tribal markings what so ever, and has this odd dress on that has a serpent on the back, and…"

Mithania nodded. "Ah, you mean a kimono with the sea god, Leviathan on the back? Yeah, she's been around quite a bit ever since last week. Usually makes custom-ordered kimonos and yukatas, sells them to high-profile nobles. She's managed to make a killing in a very, very short time, but insists on staying in Upper Jeuno, in one of the rent-a-rooms."

Elizabeth nodded excitedly. 'So that's how she was able to give me all that money…'

"Which room is she in, if you know?"

Mithania raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, you're awful interested in this lady. Wanna explain why? No reason of course, just curious."

She explained her situation, and the bard felt a pang of sympathy for her… until she got to the part where all of five thousand Gil had just been dumped into her hat before the Mithra subsequently vanished into the crowd, without another word. She was going to so many lengths to find her; thank her for such a selfless act of generosity.

She was probably also wondering, he suspected, why she did it. Was it really generosity, or was the Mithra just bored as hell? They do odd things when they become bored, after all.

'This is getting… interesting.'

He smiled and said, "Tell you what. I'll take you to her, and you can interview her for as long as you want. But just one stipulation: let me come with you. I've been interested in the newcomer for quite some time, and the little thief that she's trying to reform as well."

Lizzie raised an eyebrow and said, "Is he by chance a Tarutaru?"

The bard nodded. "That's the one."

She nodded and said, "Then that's my Mithra. You can come along if you wish, but I don't think it will be entirely exciting. After all, I'm only going to ask a few questions."

Mithania shrugged and said, "If there's one thing I've learned in my journeys, it's that nothing is entirely as boring as it seems. Just wait and see; this should be fun."

With that, the two of them set off on their way…

* * *

A pair of hard, ice blue eyes stared forward as the footfalls continue their steady rhythm, focused on the horizon ahead. Long, slender ears seemed to tune in on the slightest noise, expecting attack from any angle. A six foot long mithril halberd was in a pair of armored hands, aching to dive into flesh and destroy bones of delicate joints.

And all the while, Mesachedeau said nary a word.

He did not look at his other companions, for they were not companions at all. To him, they were considerable liabilities; others that got in his way. Even in the Royal Knights, where teamwork was paramount, he was a taciturn, hardened warrior that relied only upon himself. Friendship and camaraderie were alien to him.

'The only one that you can rely on is yourself.'

It was his motto, his mantra. There was no use in protecting someone; that would only lead to a decreased chance of survival on the part of the defender. He was no noble knight, though born to such a status. Nor was he a Paladin of any sort. Let others be the hero… he would simply be the soldier. It was better that way; gave him more focus.

But here he was, tasked with keeping an eye on the Messenger and to do the one thing he loathed doing: defending the life of a cleric. The only reason he wanted to go on this mission was because it was a fellow Elvaan. Had it been anyone else, he would have refused even King Destin. If he had any sort of emotion, it was pride for his race.

They were warriors, bred for battle and trained to go to war. It was as simple and cut-and-dry as that. He loved being who he was, and loved being a fighter. Perhaps it was the only time he could truly feel something, when he was in the heat of a fight. But though he was without concern for the others, he showed a mild spot of it for the Elvaan in front of him.

After walking up beside Pitié, Mesachedeau muttered under his breath, "You seem to be doing well enough from spending time with our… fledgling savior. Are you all right now?"

She looked up towards him and smiled brightly. "Oh yes. She helped me out quite a bit; it was just a silly nightmare, nothing more. She helped me go back to sleep again."

For a moment, he said nothing, and then, "Did she do anything… strange to you? Anything that made you feel uncomfortable?"

For a brief moment, Pitié remembered the night before, which had become locked in her mind, despite Hiirogane informing her that they were not meant to be. She found herself at peace with that fact, and said, "Why, no. She was a fine example of chivalry last night." She pouted slightly towards him and said, "I'm starting to wonder why you do not put as much faith in her as I do."

Mesachedeau went silent. Faith… was a beautiful word, certainly. But faith in something as fickle as another living being was a dangerous gambit. If that faith was broken, there was no going back. He did not want to risk such an insignificant concept. The only things he had faith in were his armor, his weapon, and his skills.

'That's all I need.'

But how was a Hume girl of all people accepted into a strictly Elvaan culture and society? Surely her parents had to be outcasts; no one in San d'Oria would speak twice to a Hume besides doing business. They simply did not trust them. In fact, they did not trust any outsiders, regardless of race. How then had she not only become a Temple Knight of high rank, but the Hand of Altana as well?

It boggled his mind, sent it around in circles. Fate was a cruel mistress sometimes, and this fate had hurt his pride. He had always thought that if anyone should be the Messenger, it should be an Elvaan. But here was a Hume, tasked with carrying out the will of the Goddess, and it seemed so damned unfair.

So absorbed was he in his thoughts that his hearing seemed to take a sort of side trip. He had lost situational awareness, whereas even Pitié had retained it during the conversation. Thus he was somewhat surprised when Richard said, "We're being tracked."

He stopped for a brief moment, and began looking around, trying to find the threat. "Keep moving," the Iron Musketeer said softly, "We don't want them to think we know of them."

Hiirogane, still at the front, kept on moving. "Maybe they'll just think that we're too small of a target and pass us by. We can't rule out the possibility."

Mesachedeau fumed internally. Damn, even _she_ had caught wind of them. How could he be so foolish?

For a while yet, they saw nothing in front, to the sides, or to the rear. Whoever was tracking their movements, they were certainly doing a good job of keeping themselves hidden. It was only when they had arrived at a cleft between two high hills that they saw something.

"All right," Hiirogane said, "Now we can stop."

Everyone looked towards the hill in front of them, and there, standing in full armor, was an Orcish Serjeant. His round shield and broad sword shone dully in the sunlight, and yet she knew that the blade could slice through any normal armor like a hot knife through butter due to the sheer strength that the Orcs possessed.

A roar came from the Serjeant, and all at once, the hill before them was lined with two, three, four… eight… sixteen… she began losing count. "_Goddess preserve us_… so many just for us four?"

Richard grimaced and said, "Seems our exploits in the forest have spread farther than I thought."

Pitié looked behind her and gasped, her eyes widening. "This is… madness!"

This caused Richard and Mesachedeau to look behind them, and lo and behold, several Goblins with combat knives appeared on the other hill. Pitié could sense their malevolence, and could sense something else, too. "They're mages. They brought support elements!"

Mesachedeau grimaced. Already angry at himself, his ire was doubled by the sheer audacity of these Beastmen. It didn't matter how many they brought, they would all die a painful, bitter death. He raised his halberd towards the mages, giving them a cold, expressionless glare.

"Don't be rash," Hiirogane said as she raised her shield slightly.

Mesachedeau finally spoke to her, and his anger was satisfyingly targeted on the Messenger. "You will not tell me how to fight, woman. They will die _my_ way, not yours."

Pitié responded, almost a bit too sharply. "She is doing her _job_, you louse. If you want to stay alive, you _will_ heed her words." With that, she began preparing a defensive spell, just in case they started their attack prematurely. Mesachedeau did not say anything else, simply prepared himself for the fight ahead.

Hiirogane looked to either side, and found them both devoid of enemies. And yet with the numbers they faced now, there would be little to no time for a retreat to either side. They were trapped between two complimentary forces, and had little chance of running.

"I believe we don't have any options here," she said in an almost forlorn voice. Why did it always have to be this way? "Get ready to defend yourselves!"

With that, they all raised their weapons, besides Pitié, who was still preparing her spell, and steeled themselves for the trial ahead.

* * *

Lizzie was entirely nervous as she stood in front of the rent-a-room that she had been led to. She was so eager about meeting this Mithra before, but now that she was here, she felt a little silly. She had been given salvation, a good amount of Gil to keep her going for a while longer, and now she was going to ask why? That seemed not only rude, but pointless.

She almost wanted to turn back, and began to do so, when Mithania placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, what's the matter? You came all this way, right?"

She nodded timidly and said, "I don't have to ask today. We can ask some other time, really. I just feel really awkward, asking something so stupid like why she decided to help me. I really should just be grateful that she did and move on with my life."

The bard smiled and said, "But that's the thing… you can't."

She stood stock still for a moment, and then nodded. "No, I can't. I _have_ to know why. But how am I supposed to approach her?"

Mithania placed a hand on his chin and said, "Well, there's no preset answer to it, really. If I had to give you any advice, it would just be to say it outright without trying to put a spin on it." He nodded and said, "Might sound silly and a bit… rude, or even harsh, but you'll have gotten to the point."

She said nothing, considering this option. If she were direct about it, would it be all right? "I'll try," she said finally as she faced the door again.

Mithania nodded and said, "Just remember; if you're invited in, I'm coming too."

She nodded without looking behind her, and knocked twice on the door.

For a few seconds, there was no answer, but they could hear someone moving behind the door. A muffled voice, and then the barrier opened, revealing the Mithra from earlier. The strange one without any markings and that had blue eyes that could stare straight through a person. "Can I help…? Ah, it's you."

Lizzie smiled timidly. "Umm… thank you for helping me today. That was the kindest thing anyone's ever done for me." She tilted her head to the right and said, "Which makes me wonder why you did it. I'm… nobody. I'm a helpless mage without any talent, who is good for nothing."

Mithania raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard her say that about herself when they met.

The Mithra raised an eyebrow, her ears twitching slightly. "Now why would you say that? No one's worrrthless. Everyone's got something they can use, no matter wherrre they're from or how they've been brrrought up."

She lowered her head and said, "Those are kind words… but I really _am_ worthless."

The cat-lady knelt in front of Lizzie and lifted her chin. "You rrreally should look on the brrright side of things, hmm? You've got yourrr health, yourrr life, and yourrr youth. With those thrrree, you can do anything and go anywherrre. So don't just give up."

Elisabeth was silent as she stared into the expansive blue eyes, entranced. Were all Mithra this noble of spirit?

"As forrr why I helped you… well, I can't just leave someone hanging like that, can I? My honorrr won't allow it." She smiled and stood up, stretching out slightly. Of course, that was when she heard a soft chuckle from her right, and looked towards Mithania.

"I knew this'd be interesting." He cleared his throat and said, "The dressmaker with lofty nobility, huh? Sounds like an interesting story to me. I hope you don't mind if we come in; there's a lot of stories to tell."

The Mithra shrugged and said, "Fine by me. Besides, the girrrly here needs a place to stay, rrright? Come on and sit by the firrre."

They both gave their pardons as they entered, and the Mithra couldn't help but wonder what exactly she was getting into. The last thing one heard as the door closed was Mithania saying, "A katana. I expected as much…"

* * *

**Chronicle 8: _Awakening_**

**K.T.S.:** Dear lord, how long has it been since I threw one of these down? Geez, it's been forever.

Thanks for the support for this story, guys! I really appreciate it, and I will be back for even more crazy tales to tell. For a while, I was thinking of ways to approach this one, but nothing came to me until one day when I looked at the Baron's Saio set. I immediately believed that it was a perfect outfit for the new character I was introducing, and the bard was just another notch in the plan; one of those things that just pop into your head and sound really good in theory.

Well, this is the result. Have fun with it.

_**Until next time, sports fans.**_


	9. Chronicle 9: The Long, Hard Road

The stench of battle flooded the air, tried to overwhelm their senses. Their weapons, dripping with the innards of their foes; armor coated with blood. Breathing heavy, muscles fatigued, ears ringing.

And still they came.

She'd lost count of them by now, her mind no longer able to keep up with the ever-increasing numbers. She didn't even care where they came from. Her mind focused itself on the single task of survival, of the fight. As the battle raged on around her, the young Elvaan cleric tried desperately to keep up with her comrades.

Spheres of fire and lightning seemed to appear from the very crowd that surrounded them, useless against Pitié's defensive spells. But even she knew that she would not be able to maintain her performance for much longer, and she'd expressed such doubts all of two minutes ago.

Those two minutes vanished in a blink amidst all the chaos. And yet, by the Goddess, the four of them still lived.

Mesachedeau separated himself from the others early on. He dove headfirst into the pack of foes to their rear, the mad glint of battle in his eyes. The rest of his features were as granite, stoic and unflinching. Nary had a smile displayed itself as he used his halberd to tear into his foes with a force and speed gained only from a familiarity with his weapon.

Pitié attempted to shout over the din of the battle cries. "You get back here this _instant_!" An arrow barely brushed her nose, made her squeak in surprise and fright. She stumbled backward, only to bump into Richard.

"Hey there… you'd best watch where you're stepping."

She looked up at him with a blush on her cheeks. "I'm sorry, I just…" Her eyes widened as she spotted an orc behind them, sword high and ready to strike. She held on tight and spun to the right, taking Richard with her. The iron blade missed by three inches, and before he had an opportunity to lift his weapon, she moved again. Her wand rose for only a brief moment before a burst of light blinded him.

Seconds later, the orc had a new hole to breathe from, courtesy of a bullet from Richard's rifle. He looked down at Pitié with a smile. "Well that's one I owe you. I'll try to keep track of it."

She shook her head. "You owe me nothing. Besides, you probably won't be able to keep track for long." She looked around at the mass of foes, still encroaching on their position. "We need to retreat! There's just too many!"

Richard grimaced, drew a steel sword as two more orcs charged toward them. "There's nowhere _to_ retreat! Besides, you try telling that to your Royal Knight friend! I doubt he's one to take orders from a healer, no matter how effective they are!" He began to defend himself against the two orcs, sparks flying from his weapon with each parry.

Pitié remained nearby, her wand at the ready. She pointed it toward the Iron Musketeer, but could not keep it steady. She muttered under her breath. "I know you want to live… but stop moving so I can help you!" Her eyes narrowed in frustration as the orcs simply would not stop harrowing him. "Okay, that's enough…" She pointed the wand at one of the attackers instead, and with an almost invisible wave of energy, the orc's swing slowed itself mere seconds before it connected with Richard's right shoulder.

He turned just in time to see the spell take effect, eyes wide at what almost befell him. Even the second orc stopped his attack, confused as to what he saw.

It gave the cleric just enough time to finally cast the spell she intended to cast. She pointed the rod toward Richard and a golden light surrounded him for but a brief moment. "Go! Finish it!"

Richard smirked and turned toward the orc behind him with uncanny speed. The creature barely saw his blade move before it collapsed on the ground from the deep cut to his gut. He continued his movement, carved a wide circle with the steel sword. The second orc's jaw slackened as his innards spilled forth, and not but a moment later, fell. He turned toward Pitié with a slight raise of his sword.

She grinned and waved toward him… before she saw what was headed toward them. "Oh no…"

* * *

**Kanto the Slayer** presents

A _Final Fantasy XI_ Fanfiction

_**Chronicles of Vana'diel**_

* * *

Hiirogane tried not to curse as Mesachedeau launched himself into the enemies behind them. Did she not say to stay together? Her jaw tightened as the first wave of enemies bore down on her. Without thinking twice, she cut a wide swath. The arc of her strike tore through the brass scales of the first two orcish raiders, gutting them. A third approached head-on, a mistake he paid for via her shield in his gut. The sheer force of the strike sent him careening back into four of his fellows, clearing a path for her to advance.

And advance she did, each flash of her weapon accompanied by a spray of blood. From the corner of her right eye, she caught a glimpse of steel and ducked on instinct. The weapon sang as it missed the top of her head by mere inches. Hiirogane pivoted on her left foot while low and, as she rose to meet her would-be attacker, smashed into the underside of his head with her shield. He shot six feet into the air before landing in a heap, crushing two others beneath him.

Before she could recover, she felt a blade slice against her chain mail from the left. She looked toward the source and smiled as the orc stared at her in disbelief. "Do forgive me." She ran her sword through the orc's head, kicked him away. As she looked forward again, she noticed that more and more of the attackers focused their efforts on her.

Good. Better here than anywhere else.

Sweat drenched her face as the heat of the day tried to sap her stamina. She willed herself onward, called forth a barrier of ice blue as she drove her foes before her. It rendered their weapons useless as swords and crossbow bolts broke themselves on her armor. She knew she could withstand the trials these beastmen forced on her. But the numbers of the enemy seemed endless, and her other companions were not as fortunate as her.

They needed to retreat, now.

A voice echoed in the deepest part of her mind and she instinctively turned her head to its source. Her jaw clenched. When had those mounted reinforcements arrived? They would crush them entirely! With a roar born of frustration, she turned toward the pack of tigers and charged toward them shield first, head lowered much like a buffalo.

Orcs scattered before her as she bore down on the goblin riders. Bolts fired from mounted archers broke on her shield. Hiirogane flung the first unfortunate tiger she reached into the air with an upward smash, taking his rider with him. The remaining pack, seven others in total, scattered.

"The Goddess be _praised_! You heard me!"

She noted Pitié's voice in the back of her mind, but it faded just as quickly as her focus returned to keeping her friends alive. She stood from behind her shield as three riders circled around for another pass to her right, the other four re-aligning themselves for an attack on the cleric and Richard. Tigers big enough to serve as mounts… She peered at them as they approached her. "They'll have to do…"

She set herself, ran toward the centermost rider, sheathing her sword as she approached. The goblin aimed and fired at her. She ignored it. As the two neared their collision, she reached her left arm toward the tiger's neck, wrapped it around as the tiger passed, and unseated the goblin on his back with authority.

But as the goblin took a quick and dirty trip to the ground, she found herself with a new problem. Controlling the beast that now had no one to control it. She wasn't trained for tigers! "Give me a good chocobo any day," she muttered as the struggle began to make the big cat go where she wanted it to.

The sound of Richard's rifle made her ears ring as she bore down on them at speed. She saw Pitié cast her magic, four feet behind him. She had to let them know! "Retreat!" she shouted as she approached. "Get on a tiger and pull away!"

The tiger shot past before she could hear their responses. Didn't matter, she had to find Mesachedeau. The fool probably thought he didn't need any help. She shook her head as she steered the beast toward his last position. Was he…? Her eyes narrowed as she peered through the mass of foes. She saw a flash of red and gold. Yes, he was.

"I know you don't like me right now, but we must get to him." No time to think twice about this idea. She was no tamer, but perhaps it would work. As the tiger drove toward the fight, she closed her eyes and reached within, placed her left hand atop the tiger's head. "Guide me through this."

The animal did not seem to respond at first, still barreling toward the orcs. But as they passed through the troop of orcs all trying to kill the lone Royal Knight, he maneuvered his way through them, homing in on the scent of the elvaan in the midst of the battle. She opened her eyes just as they broke into the center.

Mesachedeau stood before them, his blood-stained halberd almost glowing crimson in the sun. He'd kept his five foot radius of space clear, and any who wandered past the invisible circle he'd laid out met a gruesome fate, evident by the bodies that began to pile up. Part of her was impressed, but the rest knew he was at a tactical disadvantage.

Numbers did not lie.

She glared at him as he cleaved another orc in two. "I told you to _stay together_! Do you not know how to follow orders?"

"And whose orders must I follow? Yours!" He impaled another foe. "I am not here for you, or the Goddess!" He lopped a head off, kicked it toward another enemy. "Where is Pitié?"

"She and Richard are halfway to Jeuno by now!" She hoped. "We must flee as well!"

He growled and looked behind his left shoulder. "Not on those damned things! Besides, a Royal Knight _never_ flees from battle! I will remain until I die!"

Hiirogane grimaced. "I would not have you die for nothing." She turned the tiger toward the orcs again, who noticed someone else in their midst by now and began to target her. "I will clear a path, and you'd best follow me if you want to live. I don't know where they are coming from, but there are far too many of them. Your efforts will be meaningless if the others are dead!"

Mesachedeau gritted his teeth. "That is _your_ responsibility, is it not?"

"_Everyone_ is my responsibility!"

The knight growled. "Damn you…" He inched his way toward her, and the orcs began to tighten the circle. "This is a mad, half-cooked plan. You will get us killed." He moved closer anyway.

She looked behind her left shoulder at him and smiled. "Have a little faith."

* * *

"So let me hear this again, just so I can get this strrrraight."

Elizabeth fidgeted under the samurai's intense, blue-eyed gaze. She felt like she was being scolded in school all over again. The pit of her stomach wound itself into knots as she struggled to answer. "I-I'm from Windurst. Or I used to be. I don't think they'll let me back in anymore after what I did…"

The mithra, named Juunikyuu, raised a finger. "What you were _tricked_ into doing."

Lizzie bowed her head. "I should have seen it. Everyone called me Unlucky Lizzie because of how bad my spells were. It even caught on with some of the teachers." She smiled, her eyebrows tilted upward in sadness. "M-maybe I deserved it. I always thought I didn't study hard enough…"

She felt the mithra tilt her chin upward, forcing her to look into those blue eyes again. "Do you really think so?"

She nodded. "I'm good for nothing. I even tried to get along once I got here to Jeuno, but…" She began to tear up. "I couldn't even do that right!" A sob tore from her throat. "I really shouldn't be here, I'll just mess things up."

"I agree. You breakie-wakie stuff just by standing next to it!"

Lizzie turned toward the tarutaru with the wide grin on his features, her eyes wide. The sobbing turned into outright crying. He was right! She'd tried to help, but she ended up almost hurting people! She made a break for the door, but the mithra's strong hands held fast to her shoulders.

"You'll have to forgive him. Kipo here still needs to learrrn tact."

"Hmm. No I don't. I just don't lie to people, taru."

The crying intensified. She couldn't even form a proper sentence now. She felt herself being led over toward a chair, plopped into it. A hand wiped the tears from her eyes even as they spilled forth. "Shhh… that's okay… take it easy. Relax. Here, breathe a little. Watch me."

She looked up toward her benefactor, blinked the tears away as the mithra closed her eyes and… well, breathed. She could barely hear the sound of her breath, couldn't see anything moving. But the samurai had the most content expression on her face. Lizzie leaned forward a bit, tried to observe and analyze every part as if she could find something in the exotic mithran features.

"What're you trying to do, read her or something? She's not a book, taru."

The mage did not respond, entranced by what she saw. Such elegant eyes! Wonderful ears! A nose that could smell for miles and miles! She let her eyes wander toward the rest of her. Who made that dress with such complicated patterns? It fit so well and so neatly!

"You like something there?"

A blush lit her cheeks as she looked up toward the mithra again. "O-oh! Was I staring again?"

A cheeky grin spread across the feline face. "You don't even know when you're staring. That's funny." She poked her nose. "You were studying me, weren't you? No, don't answer that, just listen." She pulled back and cleared her throat. "I like your focus. When you get rrreally interested about something, there's this look on your face that you probably can't see. But I like that look."

Lizzie's red cheeks turned a deeper shade and she bowed her head. "What look do I have?"

Juunikyuu scratched her forehead. "Well it kinda looks like mine, except with your eyes open and your mouth hanging just a bit. But not all the way, you know?" She sighed and shook her head. "I can't explain it all that well."

"You don't have to."

Everyone looked over to the bard, Mithania. He raised his hands defensively. "What I mean is you don't have to explain it at all. I've seen others with that same look, the look of focus." He smiled. "It's a look of interest, of curiosity. Eyes alert, body leaning forward just slightly, head tilted just a bit maybe."

The mithra pointed toward him. "That's exactly what she was doing!"

Lizzie blinked, confused at what she heard. "I did all that?"

The bard nodded, pushed off of the wall. "You like analyzing things. Examining them to the point where you can remember every detail, picking them apart and looking at every piece until it becomes a part of you. Is that not so?"

She nodded, excited. "Yes, that's right!"

He retrieved his harp from the mantle atop the fireplace, plucked a string. "When I play songs, I watch the people I play for. Certain emotions pass along the faces of every person I see. Their bodies do certain things with or without their knowledge, and I pick up on these." He strummed. "Of course, at times I find that I can't notice anything but the music I play. And it's only after I finish that I hear applause or the sound of gil falling into my hat."

Elizabeth stared, amazed. "Wow… you're wonderful."

A huff from the tarutaru. "He's just a bard, taru. Nothin' impressive about singing songs… OW!" He rubbed the back of his head. "What'd you do that for, you meanie-weanie kitty?"

The mithra looked annoyed. "Because you're being a brat, that's why. Don't make me throw you to the Ducal Guards." She looked toward Lizzie. "That focus, what he said… Do you think you can do that during a spell?"

Her eyebrows frowned. "I don't think so. I mean, I've tried to cast a spell, but everything gets all jumbled. I either can't get the magic to come, or when it does come, it overwhelms me." She sighed, head lowered. "Of course, the second tends to happen at the worst times. I don't know what to do about it."

The samurai nodded. "Then I know your problem."

Lizzie looked up, eyes wide and fixed on the cat-lady. "You do?"

Her nose scrunched as the mithra poked at it again. "You think too much!"

The mage blinked. What? Wasn't she supposed to think about the spell she wanted to use? "I don't understand. What does that mean, thinking too much?"

The mithra sat on the bed and cleared her throat. "To find something, stop trying to look for it. It's a saying that I heard from my teacher. I can't remember exactly what it means, but I'll try to spell it out as much as I can." She stroked her chin. "When you think, your mind tends to keep thinking without stopping or slowing down. It starts to think about things that are completely useless."

The bard nodded. "An object in motion tends to continue moving until something stops it."

Lizzie's eyebrows furrowed as she tried to wrap her mind around all this. They weren't making any sense at all to her. Still, it sounded terribly interesting. "What does that have to do with my problem?"

The mithra grinned. "It has everything to do with it. Focus does not require thought. So stop thinking and the results will come on their own. It's all about letting go, not trying to control things. When you don't try to control the situation, it will resolve itself."

Lizzie shook her head. "But if I don't try to control it, it'll come back to bite me. At least, that's what I was taught. I don't see the point of letting go of control when control is what I need."

The taru sighed. "I don't understand any of this, but it's boring. I'm gonna go out and do something, taru." He made his way toward the door. "You come get me when you're done. Bye!"

Juunikyuu looked over toward Mithania as soon as the door closed. "Follow him. If he gets into trouble, drag him out of it, and then drrrag him back over here so I can give him a swift kick in the ass."

The bard raised an eyebrow. "Is he that much trouble?"

"Yes, and then some. You watch him, and you keep him from getting thrown into jail. Anything happens, you come get me. He's my responsibility, and I won't have him making trouble while he's staying with me."

Mithania nodded. "I'm on it." Soon, he left as well, leaving the room to Elizabeth and her savior.

Juunikyuu turned toward her, the placid smile back on her face. "Now then… to put it in short terms, the mind makes all these other thoughts that you don't need to know or hear. It's like a storm that churns and spins, wild and out of control. Have you ever started thinking, and then couldn't stop?"

Lizzie nodded. "It happens a lot, yeah."

The mithra continued. "So what would happen if you stopped all those thoughts? What would be left?"

The mage scratched the back of her head. "I don't think I can stop thinking, so I doubt I can find out. Besides, if you stop thinking, wouldn't you stop… you know…"

Juunikyuu chuckled. "Well, let's find out." She stood from the bed, stretched out for a bit before heading toward the fireplace. "Come here and sit with me. We're gonna try something."

Lizzie walked over and sat with her, curious as to what was about to happen. She sat on her knees and looked over toward the samurai. "So what are we going to do?"

Juunikyuu grinned. "Call it an experiment." She stared into the fire. "I want you to close your eyes and breathe, like you saw me doing before." Juunikyuu straightened her neck and rolled her shoulders back. "First, you have to make sure your back's straight, like this. But don't tense up." She looked over to the mage. "Go on."

Lizzie tried to copy what she'd seen. It felt odd, like sitting in an invisible chair. "Okay… I think I got it. What now?"

The samurai placed a hand on her belly. "Next, you have to breathe from here. I know it sounds strange, but just try it. The trick is not to move anything above right here. Or at least move it as little as possible. Just imagine your middle going in and out, like the bellows to a furnace. Breathe in through your nose, like this." She took in a deep breath of air, and this time the sound of air coming in through her nose could be heard. "Try it."

Lizzie nodded. Easy enough, right? She took in a breath through her nose, but felt her chest start to lift. She huffed and took in another breath, and again it was too high. She sighed and shook her head. "I can't see how I can do this."

Juunikyuu chuckled. "Here, let me help." She placed a hand just above Lizzie's breasts. "All right, do it."

She took in another breath, but this time the samurai pushed inward. Her stomach pushed outward on its own, and it felt… easier to breathe, somehow.

"Do it again."

She took in another breath, and once again, Juunikyuu pushed on her chest. Her body acted by itself, and her lungs took in just about twice the air they had before. Lizzie sighed again, but this time with satisfaction. "That's not so bad!"

Juunikyuu nodded. "Now, do it again." She took her hand off, and Lizzie looked at her with confusion. "Trust me, okay?"

Lizzie nodded, and straightened up. She took a breath… and this time her chest rose a bit less as her stomach pushed outward. She exhaled with a grin. "I did it!" She looked over at the samurai. "How'd you do that?"

Juunikyuu shrugged. "All I did was help your body get used to the idea. Then when I asked you to do it, you did it. Did you have to think about it at all?"

Lizzie blinked, thought back on what she'd done. As hard as she tried, she couldn't remember anything like that taking place. She shook her head. "No, I didn't."

Juunikyuu grinned "See? Breathing doesn't require thought." She rubbed her hands together. "Okay, now for the real experiment. I want you to close your eyes and do that ten times. Take it slow, don't rush. And most of all, don't think."

Lizzie nodded, excited. "Okay!" She straightened herself, closed her eyes. This was so fascinating! She took in a breath, exhaled slowly. One time. Another breath, exhale. Two times. Juunikyuu probably watched every move she made. What did she think? How was she doing? Was she doing it right? Was there some other trick to this, or…?

"Open your eyes."

She opened them, blinked as the light of the fireplace entered her eyes. "What's wrong?"

Juunikyuu chuckled. "You lost your focus." She placed a hand on her chest. "This was going up and down like crazy. You were breathing the wrong way, and too fast as well."

Lizzie blushed. "I-I'm sorry…"

The cat-lady shook her head. "You don't need to apologize. Let's try again…"

Lizzie closed her eyes and began her breathing again. Slow… deep… Wait, her back started to feel a bit uncomfortable. Oh no, was that an itch? Instinctively, she reached toward her lower back to scratch. She heard a chuckle and opened her eyes. "What?"

Juunikyuu looked at her with a bemused expression. "Harder than it seems, isn't it? I bet you complained about that itch, right?"

She blushed again. "Well it's not my fault!"

"That's right, it isn't your fault." Juunikyuu ruffled the young mage's hair. "But you have to let it pass. Maintain your focus, no matter what. No thought, no disturbance, nothing but your breathing."

Lizzie shook her head, peering into the fire. "I don't think I can. I mean, there's always a thought going on all the time, right? How can I stop thinking if my brain won't stop thinking?" It sounded impossible. And yet, the content expression on the samurai's face lingered in her mind. She probably made all these faces when she was thinking about something, but Juunikyuu's face was serene, as if…

As if there were no thoughts at all.

She looked toward Juunikyuu. "I think I understand a little... But what am I supposed to do when I start thinking?"

Juunikyuu smiled. "You let it happen." Before the mage could respond, she raised a hand to stop her. "Hear me out. You let the thought happen, give it some space. Then, you focus back on your breathing. Feel the air coming and going, listen to it. Sooner or later, the thoughts will get the hint."

After a few moments, Lizzie nodded again. "Okay, I'll try."

Juunikyuu squeezed her new friend's right shoulder. "Then let's do this."

* * *

A lone tiger sprinted across the Batallia Downs, pursued by three others mounted by goblins. Crossbow bolts streaked through the air, coming within inches of the target. The lead tiger carried two riders, one on the back of the other. A very uncomfortable situation for the beast, but necessary for the two astride him.

Richard hissed as another bolt missed his left ear by an inch. "Can't this damn thing go any faster?"

Pitié shook her head. "I've cast a haste spell on him already! I don't think he can run any harder than this! Besides, I feel bad for him!" She squeaked as she felt the air part for another bolt. This one almost took her cap off. "Merciful Altana, how close are we?"

"Not even!"

She whimpered as the chase continued. "Where are the others? Goddess, please let them be alive…"

Richard smirked. "What, those two? I bet they've got their own way out of that mess by now! You'd best save your prayers for the two of us; if we die, there won't be anyone to hear about the damn _army_ that's still roaming around out here!" He risked a glance behind them. "How are there still so many?"

The cleric shook her head. "I have no idea, but they seem to be coming from the very ether! I saw no mages to transport them here, so I can't explain how they arrived…" She looked up, gasped at what she saw. "Richard, the wall!"

He looked ahead and laughed after a few moments. "Maybe this plan of hers wasn't so crazy after all!"

They tried to spur their ride onward even as the goblins continued to fire at them. They swerved as bolts rained down; one of them almost hit the tail. With the goblins in hot pursuit, the wall still seemed so far away… and then they heard one of them cry out in pain.

Richard looked behind him, saw a goblin cover his eyes as if blinded. "Hey, did you cast something?"

Pitié shook her head. "No, I'm too busy praying!"

The momentary distraction was enough for the goblin to lose control of his ride… and the tiger rammed into the one to his left, sending both mounts and riders to the ground. Richard grinned. "Hah! Serves you right, you ugly bastards!" Then he saw just what caused the incident. "It looks like your prayers earlier were not in vain!"

The healer smiled. "I never lost hope."

Hiirogane and Mesachedeau rode several yards behind them on their own tigers, one for each instead of the two-for-one situation that Richard and Pitié found themselves in. But what he saw behind their rescuers made him growl in frustration. "Do they _never_ cease?"

The army chased right after them, and they looked to be closing the gap.

Richard looked ahead again and saw something that made him feel a bit better. White and gold plate armor of Ducal Guards, on patrol just in front of the gate. And there seemed to be several of them armed with rifles. "Hey! _Hey_!"

One of the guards saw them even from their current position, pointed toward their tiger. The other guards drew their weapons, one of them hefting his rifle. Richard's eyes widened. "Oh hell… We need to move! _Now_!" He forced his mount to move to the right just enough… and the next moment, a shot rang out, unseating the goblin rider behind them.

Richard sighed as they neared the gate. "All right, we're almost out of this. When I tell you, I want you to jump off."

Pitié hissed through her teeth. "You're _insane_! I'll break my neck!"

Richard shook his head. "They'll catch you. I trust these guys." His eyes narrowed as they closed on the guards at full tilt. "Okay, here we go… One! Two! Three!"

Pitié screamed as she leapt off of Richard's back. He looked back and saw a silver-haired mithra in milky armor catch her before she hit the ground. When he turned to look ahead again, he found himself about to run headlong into the wall. He turned a hard right, just missing the stone by mere seconds. "This is where I get off, friend!" He jumped off and hit the ground rolling, pulled out his rifle, aimed… and lowered the gun as the tiger just kept running.

He chuckled. "I'd be tired of me too if I had two people on my back. You get off easy for now."

He stood and made his way toward the guards. "Don't get too complacent, it's not over yet."

A galka grimaced as he tilted his head toward the distance. "I can see that… those friends of yours?"

Richard peered toward the two incoming tigers… and the orcs chasing them. "Not all of them." He raised his rifle again. "I hope you're all good shots. We need to take them out from here, stop them from reaching the gates. If any of those orcs get in, it'll be hell."

The rest of the guards put away their swords and pulled out their rifles. The mithra who caught Pitié earlier took a deep breath. "At three hundred yards, on my mark. Steady arrrms!"

Richard saw the galka to his left take a knee and shoulder his weapon again. The others did what they could to make sure they aimed true. He nodded and peered down his sights again.

"Hold… wait until the firing line is clearrr…"

Pitié cupped her hands around her mouth. "Move out of the way!"

The two wasted no time once they saw what was about to take place. The mithra nodded. "Line clear, take aim! Hold until my command!" The army stormed onward, heedless of the impending attack. "_Fire_!"

Ten rifles went off at once, including Richard's.

"Reload and steady… _Fire_!"

They unlocked the breech on their guns, loaded a bullet from a pouch, and snapped the rifles closed. The whole thing took just over a second before they shouldered their weapons again. Once again, they fired, and more orcs fell, their armor shot clean through. Reload, steady, fire. A third group of orcs were shot down, and by then the rest of them took the hint. The beastmen fled, cursing and swearing revenge in their garbled tongue.

"Hold your firrre! They're leaving."

The guards lowered their guns as the orcs moved beyond the horizon. The mithra turned toward Richard. "Okay, now that that's over, let's starrrt with who is in charge of this merry band and why you had a whole pack of orcs chasing you. That's more ugly than I everrr wanna see again."

"That would be me."

The mithra turned toward Hiirogane. "Okay then, explain why you had an army after you."

She shook her head. "I can't. They came out of nowhere, ambushed us. How it grew to such numbers is beyond me, but there are a lot of orcs out there, and they are very, very angry." She bowed just enough to be courteous. "Thank you for saving us. Had you not been out here, we wouldn't have been able to make it through as easily."

The guards nodded and the Mithra saluted just briefly. "It's what we do. So then, what's your business in Jeuno?"

Hiirogane looked toward the towering city for a moment without speaking, and then answered. "I have an important message to deliver."

* * *

**Chronicle 9: **_**The Long, Hard Road to Jeuno**_

The next chapter may or may not take a bit due to life being a bitch right now, but them's the breaks. On that note, I present the latest in the new set of chapters coming down the pipe for multiple stories. I don't know when the next one of these will pop out, much less what it will contain, but I do know that it won't take as long as this one did.

At least, I hope not.

On that note, that shiny review button down there is still… shiny. And it looks inviting, yes? So leave a review for this chapter, for the story in general. Good, bad, critical or not, whatever you wish. Just give me some feedback, because I haven't done this story in quite some time, and I need to know how I'm doing.

_See you next time, sports fans._


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